Strength of the Heart
by Kenta Raikiri
Summary: An army of strange black creatures attack Toad Town and in the aftermath Mario and Peach disappear. Luigi wakes up from a three day coma to find Toad Town beginning to recover and a small blue shard in Peach's destroyed bedroom. With a strange weapon called a Keyblade and a vision from Merlon, Luigi sets off on his biggest adventure yet. MarioXKingdomHearts X-over. Rated T 4 Words.
1. Prologue

_They say that each star out there is a whole new world. _

_I used to wonder if that was true, but having gone out into space, there isn't a doubt in my mind._

_And who is to say that they stop there?_

_If I travel far enough, I wonder if I can find a world that no one has ever been to before._

_A world where I'm not just some tag-along. _

_A world where I can actually do something on my own._

_A world, where I exist._

* * *

A tall young man stood staring up into the sky, his eyes watchful. Holding a gloved hand up to the sky, he clenched it, grinning. "One day, I'll actually be somebody. Not just a shadow to him." The wind blew softly, his green hat moving lightly on top of his head.

"Luigi! Dinner!" A voice called out.

"Coming Mario!" Luigi said turning around and heading back inside the small house.


	2. Toad Town Terror

"Luigi! Luigi wake up!"

"Hnn?" Luigi groaned as he sat up in his bed. Looking up, he found a shirt and some overalls thrown onto his face. "What's up Mario?" Luigi mumbled as he changed out of his sleepwear.

"Hurry up! The Toads are in a panic! Something's going on in town!" Mario said rushing out of the room. Luigi quickly got dressed and followed after his brother. Passing by the kitchen, his stomach growled. Quickly checking for Mario at the front door, Luigi tip-toed over to a small plate with a semi-fresh muffin. Slowly reaching for the muffin, he flinched as Mario suddenly shouted "COME ON LUIGI!" before dragging Luigi with him.

"Oh man..." He groaned, almost losing his shoes from being dragged along the road.

The two plumbers ran across the grassy fields just outside of Toad Town, catching sight of the large town before skidding to a halt. Standing at the outskirts of town, the two plumbers' eyes were wide in shock. Meteors fell from the sky, smashing into small mushroom houses with Toads screaming and running about in a panic. Black creatures ran across the town, attacking people left and right. A few guards stood their ground, slashing and stabbing at the black creatures. Mario gasped as numerous creatures appeared in front of the brothers, startling Luigi.

"W-w-what the heck ARE these things!" Luigi trembled before the strange, small creatures. He had never seen them before! Mario stood his ground, flicking his hand to the side, his glove flaring to life as a bright red flame engulfed his arm.

"Doesn't matter! They've got to be what's attacking the town!" He shouted before rushing at the enemies, bashing them left and right. Luigi, hesitant to fight, nodded slowly. He clenched his left hand, a spark coursing from his chest up to his fingertips. Glaring at the three small enemies before him, Luigi swung his hand diagonally, three lightning bolts raining down from the sky, obliterating the creatures. Looking ahead of him, he saw Mario rushing into town, both arms on fire, his sleeves already ripped off. He began smashing anything that jumped at him back to the ground, never losing his momentum.

"Oh man! I'm getting left behind again!" Luigi shouted as he ran after his older brother. He skid to a halt however as more creatures appeared from the ground. "Not again!" He groaned, swinging his arm in front of him. "Back off! Mario's heading for the castle!" He shouted, smashing the creatures away with his electric fist, the creatures exploding into numerous small orbs from the electric attack. Luigi continued to beat back the creatures, trying to move forward. Much to his dismay, more and more black monsters surfaced from the ground.

_Key...blade..._

_Keyblade..._

Luigi blinked as the creatures continued to stare at him, quirking their heads in odd directions. Were they speaking to his mind?

"What? Wh-what are you saying?" Luigi stuttered, slowly backing away, the creatures coming closer. Luigi screamed as something jumped onto his back. He desperately reached for his back, the electricity in his hand fizzing out. He flailed around, trying to get the creature off, but others instead jumped on for the ride. Luigi fell to the ground, the weight not letting him get back up. His vision started to blur, causing the plumber to desperately call out for help. He stretched a hand out, hoping for someone to take it.

His hand grasped nothing.

* * *

On the other side of town, Mario had finally reached Toad Town's Square. Skidding to a halt, he looked around him, an eerie silence flooding the square. The plumber clenched his arms, tensing in anticipation. The entire run here, he had been fighting nonstop. Now that he was at the square, there wasn't a single soul around. The quiet atmosphere disturbed him.

"Careful Weege. I don't like the looks of this." Mario said, slowly backing up. Silence greeted Mario's ears, causing the plumber to spin around. "Luigi? Bro!" Mario found himself to be alone in the square. "AW CRUD! I lost him!" He cursed his rashness, knowing Luigi's hesitance in these unknown situations. A loud whistling sound caused the plumber to turn around just in time to see a giant set of armor slam onto the ground in front of him, Mario raising his arm to shield his face. Lowering his arm, Mario watched in curiosity as the giant set of armor lay motionless on the ground. The helmet rolled in front of him, and Mario wondered if the knight was defeated or something. But...where was the body that should have been inside? Mario watched it curiously, wondering how it had moved before. Surely only a Koopa wizard had the power to move stationary objects.

The helmet suddenly began to rattle, causing Mario to jump slightly. The helmet started bouncing around as if something was moving around inside of it, when suddenly, the legs, arms and torso of the knight suddenly moved back together, leaving just a little distance in between the segments. Mario watched in amazement as the segments flipped around in the air, the main body floating in the air. The head suddenly started bouncing, staring at the rest of the body, as if trying to get its attention. The claws grabbed a hold of the head before slamming it back where it should have been. The knight slammed its claws together before stomping towards Mario, the plumber re-igniting his arms in bright orange flames.

* * *

Princess Peach slowly walked out to the balcony of Mushroom Castle, her eyes narrowing as she looked out at the town. Numerous black clouds erupted from the houses surrounding the castle. Looking down to the bridge that connected her castle to the square, her eyes narrowed at the black wave that marched across it.

It was only a matter of time before the army's leader would descend upon her castle. Numerous guards tried to cheer her up, but as Peach turned to them, she smiled uneasily. Their knees were trembling, and though she knew they would still fight, they would not stand a chance.

A black wind blew across her face, causing the princess to shiver. Turning to the door, she waited, wondering who was behind this attack.

She prayed, clasping her hands together. "Stars, watch over us."

* * *

Luigi groaned, looking up to see a dark sky. The air was chilly, and he felt cold. Sitting up, he found himself at a dusty crossroads. Small rocks rolled across the dirt paths and Luigi saw what seemed to be tornados in the distance, though they didn't come even close to where he was. Four different pathways surrounded him, however as he stood up he noticed that the paths were outlined. Sword-like keys were stuck in the ground, their hilts pointing to the dark sky. Luigi stood up and walked over to one, looking at the odd, rusted blade. It looked old and brittle, thought it retained its elegance with the ornate-looking handle. Its bit was in the shape of a bat, and Luigi wondered if it was supposed to symbolize a vampire or something.

"Maybe I can use one of these to fight those things….it would be easier than with just my bare hands." Luigi thought aloud. "Speaking of which, where are they?" Luigi looked around, still feeling their presence. Deciding he had better grab a weapon quick, he resumed his inspection of the old, lifeless blade. Looking at it from a few different angles, Luigi grasped the handle, only for the blade to turn to dust.

Luigi jumped back, blinking.

"Guess it was rustier than I thought…" He laughed uneasily. Grabbing another blade, this one more of a broadsword, he squawked as it exploded into hundreds of pieces just as Luigi touched it. Four more blades disappeared from his reach, Luigi's tolerance hitting its peak. "If I'm in a freaking sword yard then why in the world can't I touch even ONE without it turning to dust?" He fumed. A flash to his left however caught his eye. Turning, Luigi blinked at the gleam in the distance, pulling him towards it. He brushed past the brittle blades, striving towards the mysterious light. The weapons seemed to understand his destination, and even evaporated before he even got close to them, making a sort of path for him.

He stopped in front of a grey, colorless weapon with very familiar features. The plumber stared, hesitant to touch the blade for fear it would disappear. Strengthening his resolve, he reached out and picked up the weapon, looking at it in curiosity after nothing happened to it. The handle was in the shape of a Super Mushroom, and the key bit was in the shape of a lightning bolt. As he lifted it over his head, another gleam caught his attention, this time emanating from his chest. Luigi eye's widened in shock as the light floated away from him before forming in his hand. As the light dimmed, he found a small keychain in his hand.

It was a black book with a cerulean blue orb in the center, red lines jumping around the cover of the book. As he lifted it up, he felt a familiar power emanating from it. Luigi narrowed his eyes as he studied the book. Funny, he felt like he had seen this book somewhere before…but where? Looking at the back of the blade, he found a hook that he could attach the keychain to. Snapping it into place, Luigi's eyes widened as the blade suddenly began glowing with a bright light, blinding the plumber.

* * *

Mario wheezed as he stood before the floating plate body in front of him. The head spun above the Knight armor, its arms and legs missing. The head seemed to be staring at him in mock pity. Mario bristled in rage, his arms flaring brighter. His red hat flew off as the heat intensified, stray debris being pushed back by the searing heat emanating from the flame warrior. A bright light suddenly burst into the sky, causing Mario and the armor to turn towards it. Mario took the light as the diversion he needed, and leapt at the armor's head.

"TAKE THIS!" He roared as he smashed both fists onto the armor's helmet. The helmet shattered and the plate body slammed onto the ground, an enormous heart coming out of the armor. Mario stared at the heart in shock, wondering how in the world it had been controlling it. He pulled an arm back, ready to blast the heart to bits, but something told him not to. So instead the plumber watched as it disappeared into the grey sky. Picking up his hat, he then turned his attention to the castle; knowing Peach was most definitely inside.

"Please be safe..." He said to himself as he ran into the castle.


	3. Aftermath

"Unnn…" Luigi groaned as he sat up, his head pounding.

"Oh! He's awake!" A voice shouted to his left. Luigi turned and barely saw a figure run out a door before he found himself alone in an empty room. Rubbing his eyes, he found himself on a small bed, his clothes badly torn.

"What happened? Where am I?" The plumber mumbled aloud as he pulled the covers off and stood up, his legs wobbling. Luigi stumbled forward, throwing out a hand to keep from slamming into a wall. Putting a hand to his forehead, he tried to catch his breath. His head wouldn't stop spinning, and he felt his stomach revolting against his movement. His breathing soon returned to normal however, and the pulsing in his head died down enough for Luigi to survey his surroundings.

The bed was really the only thing that looked normal. Curtains were shredded, dressers were overturned, lamps had shattered, and two of the walls looked like they had holes in them before as wooden crosses now barred people from going through them. Luigi checked to make sure he still had his hat and, after finding out it was still in good shape, turned towards the door where a gleaming weapon lay next to it.

Luigi's eyes widened as he recognized it as the weapon he had picked up in that strange field of blades. Picking it up, he found that the once grey, brittle weapon had gained color and looked quite sturdy. The 'Super Mushroom' handle, was colored green like a 1-Up Mushroom, and the length of the key gleamed stately silver, almost like a real sword. The key-chain was the only thing that stayed the same; its black cover with red lines almost seemed to pulse now that he was holding the weapon. Noticing the door next to him, Luigi opened it, weapon in hand.

He hadn't walked two steps outside the house before he dropped the weapon, his eyes wide in horror.

A war zone lay in front of him. Houses destroyed, fountains broken with water streaming on the ground, having made a river out of the town. Only a few houses were still standing, though they still had numerous holes through them. It looked like a hurricane had hit the town! Smoke erupted all around him, and not four feet ahead of him lay dozens of craters where smoke emanated from. Dark clouds hung over the town, and though he didn't want to believe it, he knew exactly where he was. He ran towards the building with the greatest amount of damage visible even from where he stood in the town.

Peach's Castle.

He ran up to the front gate, passing over the destroyed drawbridge that lay snapped in half, laying in the moat that surrounded the castle. The front doors were gone, and as he stepped into the empty castle, he found where they had gone. One lay on the ground with an imprinted fist on its front, while the other was stuck in the wall above the door to the second floor, an imprint similar to the other door on its front. A ray of light streamed into the middle of the room, and when Luigi turned to the giant hole that the light streamed through he couldn't resist the urge to swallow. He never thought he would see such a giant hole where the castle's library used to be.

Jumping up to it, he found books everywhere, bookshelves on the ground and traces of what looked like fires that had been put out recently. Walking around he found a pair of glasses on the ground. His heartbeat quickened at the thought of Toadburt, the castle's top librarian who would spend hours in the quiet room. He held onto the glasses, confused as to what in the world happened.

A bright red color caught his eye, and Luigi's heartbeat quickened.

"Mario?" Luigi jumped back into the foyer of the castle, running up the stairway to the second floor. Numerous pictures that had adorned the stairway were missing or torn, and Luigi was reminded of the time Bowser had invaded the castle, using its power stars to imprison Peach into the stained glass that was once outside. The residents of Toad Town, fearful of Peach being imprisoned again inside of the stained glass, changed the image to a simple Super Mushroom, which was now shattered.

Luigi reached the second floor, finding it much the same as the previous level. Smoke and holes plagued the floor, and Luigi wondered if it was going to give out. So carefully making his way across, he made his way to the back of the castle, to Peach's resting quarters. There was no other place that the two would have gone, and most likely it would be the only place in the entire castle where people could be. And so far, aside from the person he had heard when he woke up, he hadn't seen anyone else. He knew Toad Town, despite being a peaceful village, was full of happy, energetic and friendly Toadstools.

Yet none were to be found.

He stopped as he reached the bedroom, his breath caught in his throat. A red hat lay on the ground outside the door, numerous holes in it. He picked it up, staring at it for a few moments before slowly walking over to the broken door. He swallowed painfully before peering inside. Not hearing anything, Luigi fully opened the door, taking cautious steps as he looked around the room that perfectly described the word 'chaos'. Shredded curtains, broken picture frames, a closet full of burnt dresses...nothing seemed to imply someone was still here. Scorch marks were all over the room, indicating Mario had definitely fought something here. The greatest question for Luigi, however, was that there were no other fire marks, or even claw marks anywhere. No large indents or anything that would prove who else had fought here, as there was only one person Luigi could think of that would attack the town in such a manner.

"It wasn't Bowser…." Luigi concluded in horror. He had expected it to be the Koopa King, what with the two large clawed indents on the front doors. But the only marks in the room were Mario's; meaning whatever Mario had fought, not only had it beaten him soundlessly, it hadn't put up much of a fight in retaliation to his brother's fiery fighting style.

Luigi looked around the destroyed room one last time and a glitter caught his eye. Walking over to it, Luigi found it to be a glistening blue shard. The plumber stared at it closely, wondering what in the world it could be. It was tiny, about the size of a flash drive.

"Now you see the carnage…but what will you do about it? By boogity!" A voice suddenly spoke behind Luigi, causing the plumber to whip around, his right hand ablaze with a green fire. It was his quickest attack, but as Luigi spun around, his eyes widened and a smile formed on his face, the fire dying out.

"TOADBURT!" Luigi shouted, running over and picking up the small librarian.

"Woah! Easy there Luigi! I'm terrified of heights! By boogity!"

Luigi laughed, spinning around his friend. "'By Boogity' Hahaha! It really IS you!" He laughed before remembering something. "Oh!" Luigi put down the blue, spectacled Toad before handing him the pair of glasses he had picked up earlier. "Here, I think these are yours." Toadburt smiled.

"Thank you, by boogity! I had lost them during the attack, and had to use my spare." The Toad put the broken glasses into a spare case before pocketing it. Turning back to Luigi, he motioned for him to follow. Luigi found himself outside once more, looking at the carnage of Toad Town. "As you can see, the Town barely held up." Luigi frowned deeply. "But we're making out all right. Come on. I'll bring you to whose currently in charge." Walking back through town, Luigi began to notice some Toads. Looking at the clearing sky, he found it to be early morning.

'That would explain why I didn't see anyone. I was one of the first ones up this morning.' Luigi smirked before a frown settled back on his face. 'But, when me and Mario got here, I had just woken up. It looks like it's earlier than before. Man, this is so confusing...' Luigi put a hand to his forehead in the hopes of calming his pounding head.

Toadburt led Luigi to a small area where numerous tents were set up. He looked to his left to see a hastily made sign with a red cross on it, indicating it was a makeshift hospital. He had never seen so many tents lined up together. Pulling his eyes away, he found Toads already working on repairing important buildings, such as hospitals and grocery stores. He soon found himself in front of a large tent and, walking inside, found the person in charge.

"Merlon!" Luigi exclaimed pointing a finger towards the Star Reader. The blue-hooded man turned to his guests, hopping out from behind a makeshift desk and walking over to them.  
"Ah! Luigi! Good to see you again. Though I wish it was on better conditions..." Luigi looked around the tent. Numerous Toads were writing things down, though everyone's eyes were now on Luigi. A few sleeping rolls had been made up, now stashed conveniently into the corners of the large tent.

"Merlon...what's going on? Last I remembered, some weird creatures attacked Toad Town, I was jumped on by a bunch of them, then..." Luigi hesitated on telling him of the dream of blades. "Then nothing..." Luigi said, keeping the blade dream a secret. Thinking of the blades reminded him of the one he had dropped when he had first seen Toad Town. He began looking around for it, not realizing he was doing so until Merlon patted his arm.

"Not now. First, you must eat."

"Eat? Now that you mention it, I never DID eat breakfast..." Luigi said putting a hand to his stomach, which immediately started rumbling loudly. Some of the Toads chuckled before one came up with a bowl of soup. Luigi thanked the Toad before sitting down and eating. Not a very good breakfast, but he'd take what he could get right now. Merlon went back to his desk before sitting back in his fold-able chair, sighing deeply.

"Luigi, there's something you should know first." Luigi looked up from his bowl of soup, slowly slurping in a spoonful of the hearty mushroom soup. "You've been unconscious for three days."

SPLOOOSH!

Luigi snapped his head towards Merlin, having spit out the spoonful of soup right onto Toadburt. He quickly apologized to the grumbling blue Toad before snapping his head back to Merlon.

"I WAS WHAT!?" He shouted. Now he was even MORE confused than before! Merlon nodded when a Toad suddenly ran in, holding something.

"MERLON! MERLON! IT'S LUIGI! HE'S FINALLY AWAKE! HE'S...finally...awake..." The Toad calmed down as he caught sight of Luigi before bursting out energetically once more. "LUIGI! YOU'RE AWAKE! YOU'RE FINALLY AWAKE!" He bounced around in joy.

"BENDS! KNOCK IT OFF!" Merlon shouted, causing the Toad to stop. He laughed nervously before tensing, seemingly remembering something.

"Oh! That's right! Here Luigi, this is yours! I found it outside of the house you were sleeping in after you went unconscious!" He handed him the 1-up mushroom blade before waving and running off. "I've got to tell everyone else!" Luigi blinked as he stared at the weapon. It pulsed in his hand, seemingly enjoying his touch. Merlon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"That was Bends. And knowing him, he probably told half the town before he remembered to tell me." Toadburt began to chuckle, having cleaned off his glasses of Mushroom soup.

"He forgets what he's doing halfway through it, and probably went back to where you were unconscious before remembering to tell Merlon. Why, it's thanks to him that I found you in the castle, by boogity!" Merlon coughed, getting the twosome's attention.

"Despite his forgetfulness...Luigi." He turned to the plumber. "That weapon is what you were holding when we first found you." Luigi turned his attention back to the blade. "One witness says that he saw you get jumped on by those strange black creatures and, a few moments later, a bright light erupted from where you were attacked. He said that when he was able to see again, you were holding that weapon." Luigi lifted the blade up, curious as to what it was supposed to be.

"What is it? I've never seen anything like it. It's like a 1-up mushroom turned into a sword, thingy." Toadburt shrugged as Luigi continued to examine the weapon. "Now that I look at it, it seems more like a key..." Luigi held the weapon away from him, getting a better look at it.

'Come to think of it...I thought I heard those black things say something about a key-something...what was it again?' Luigi thought as his eyes narrowed in concentration.

Merlon shook his head. "The more pressing matter is that you are awake. Luigi, I have a favor to ask of you." The plumber turned to the Star Reader. "I had a vision last night, and knew you would be awakening soon. Now that this has come to pass, I will tell you what I saw." He took a deep breath, taking in the moment. Luigi, knowing how Merlon acted, took another spoonful of soup, since the last one had been shot all over Toadburt. "I had a vision that you would be waking, and when you woke, you went to Star Summit."  
"Star Summit? Why there?" Luigi asked curiously. Merlon chastised him for talking in the middle of his vision. Rolling his eyes, Luigi took another slurp of soup.

"You went to Star Summit and began talking with the stars. I also saw you walking up to a strange door, but the vision fades from there..." He said sounding mysterious. He turned to see Luigi salting the soup. "DID YOU HEAR A WORD I SAID!?" The Star Reader shouted in rage, soup, salt and toads flying away from the force of his roar.

"Yeah, I heard you." Luigi sighed, wiping his brow with a handkerchief. "But do you have to sound so mysterious when you do that? It'd be much simpler if you just told me normally." He sighed, dusting off his shirt. Merlon began shouting at him, the tent bouncing around in excitement. Nearby Toads began laughing at the excited tent, the comical atmosphere soothing many a Toads' tension.

"Now," Merlon sighed, the tent a complete wreck. "You must go to Star Summit immediately."

"WHAT? But I didn't really eat much!" Luigi complained. "And I havn't eaten in three days!"

"TOO BAD! GET MOVING YOU LAZY BAG OF POTATOES!" Merlon shouted, punting Luigi out of the tent. Luigi grumbled as he massaged his sore behind when suddenly Merlon shouted again. "AND TAKE THIS WITH YOU!" Luigi turned around just in time to get smacked in the face by the weapon. Glaring at the tent, Luigi picked up the blade and began walking towards Star Summit.


	4. An Apple a day makes the Crystal stay

"Maaaaan…stupid Merlon. He could have at LEAST let me eat a little more…" Luigi grumbled as he walked the path to Star Summit, his stomach growling. Luigi turned his head, looking at the town in the distance. He could still see the smoke.

He was unconscious for all of that? How in the world had he NOT been flattened to a pancake? Luigi sighed before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small leather pouch. It was a pouch he had made years ago, thinking it would be used for something important. Of course, he had never found anything to really PUT in it, but this little shard fixed that problem right away. He had always kept the pouch on him, but until today, it really had no use, more of a decoration than anything else. Opening it up, Luigi saw the blue crystal he had found from before lay resting inside. He sat on a small rock, resting his sore feet before plopping the crystal onto his open hand. Luigi gazed at the shard curiously, wondering what it was.

Part of a jewel? No duh.

Was it a special treasure? Worth millions?

Or was it a key of some sort? Mario had told him about a jewel that he was given that helped find a lost temple in the desert. Maybe it was like that?

Or better yet, maybe it was a clue to where Mario and the princess were...or maybe the perpetrator left it behind in the hopes of him finding it?

...HAHAHAHAHAA! YEAH RIGHT!

Whoever had attacked Toad Town was obviously a strategist, as the kind of plan that was employed obviously wasn't a flashy 'raid'.

His stomach growling once more, Luigi sighed. This was getting him nowhere. He was still hungry, and the thought of him not eating for three days made him feel even hungrier than before. Looking up to the sky, Luigi noticed an apple tree next to him. Eyes wide and giddy with excitement, Luigi quickly clambered up the tree. Had he any onlookers; they would have thought him a monkey. Luigi plopped down onto a high branch before plucking a juicy red apple from a nearby branch. Happily biting into it, Luigi momentarily forgot his troubles. The only thing that he cared about was the sweet tasting apple he was currently biting into. Continuing to eat, Luigi pulled out the pouched and plopped the shard into his open palm. It looked really pretty, the way it sparkled. Plucking another apple, Luigi noticed the shard began to shine. Stopping his momentary feast, Luigi looked at the shard only for his apple to get sucked into the crystal.

"WOAH!" Luigi jumped, dropping the shard in shock. Realizing what he had just done, he dove after the shard before his eyes went wide, the ground coming closer and closer.

WHAM!

Luigi hit the ground hard, his legs sticking straight up into the air before gravity pulled his feet down over his head. The plumber tried to sit up, his head spinning. He shook his head before looking over to the shard a few feet away and noticed a few more apples had fallen, only for them all to be sucked into the shard in a flash of light. Luigi carefully crawled over to the shard and began poking at it, expecting to be sucked into it as well. He sat there for a few moments in silence, nothing happening. Finally, having grown bored of waiting, Luigi picked up the shard and stared at it for a moment before scrubbing his eyes with his arm. Had that really just happened? He looked around to find only a few apples lying in the middle of the road. Shaking his head, he put the shard back into the leather pouch before pocketing it and continuing his journey, snatching a few more apples along the way.

The tall plumber soon reached the start of a mountain trail that he knew lead to Star Summit. He slowly started walking up, noticing the stars falling down all around him. Having been here numerous times before, Luigi knew what was at the top; a beautiful scene where stars glistened brilliantly in the dark sky. No matter what time of day it was, Star Summit always remained dark, a magical power allowing the stars to glisten even brighter than usual. But as Luigi came close to the top, he noticed that the sky did not turn dark as it usually did.

Increasing his pace, Luigi quickly found himself at the top of the summit, his eyes wide. Light streamed over the platform Mario had said the Star Spirits spoke to him at. But what caused Luigi to gasp was the enormous crack that started from the center of the platform and extended to the outer rim. Luigi carefully walked over to the crack, placing a hand on it. The Key-like weapon in his other hand pulsed, a glow emanating from the key-chain.

The ground suddenly began to shake, causing Luigi to freak out and begin running away from the platform. The shaking stopped however, and Luigi carefully looked back at the platform, halting in his retreat. He slowly walked back to the platform, watching for anything suspicious. Nothing happening, Luigi began to wonder if it was his imagination, not noticing a giant shadow appear behind him. A cold chill ran down the plumber's spine and Luigi thought he felt a cold hand run along the back of his neck. A musty, black air seemed to converge around the summit, running along the edge of his skin. He felt heavy, and the weapon in his hand throbbed. He didn't like this feeling. Another cold chill ran down his spine, and he thought he heard a sort of clanking sound behind him. Luigi slowly began to turn around, only to look up and pale.

"IT'S ENORMOUS!" The tall plumber shouted in terror.

A large grey moving contraption stared back at him, two small points on its sides that seemed to be arms and a spinning blade beneath it, somehow allowing it to hover. Luigi tried to run back down the hill, only for two giant laser beams to blast in front of and behind him. Luigi turned to the giant enemy and swallowed, readying the blade.

"Oh man...oh man oh man oh man! Where in the world did this thing come from!?" Two more laser beams blasted out from the contraption's arms and Luigi turned sideways, thin enough to dodge the shots. "EEEP!" Running back over to the center, Luigi skid to a halt in front of the broken platform. An echo of laughter resonated around the summit, yet when he glanced around, the only thing that he saw was the contraption in front of him which started to glow and OH MY GOD!

"YIPE!" Luigi jumped to the side, a giant laser beam shooting from the contraption's chest. He held his hands over his head, rocks pelting him from the backlash of the blast. The plumber turned to his previous position to see the path the beam had taken; trees were on fire and a big hole was dug into the earth where the blast had hit. The spiral path that he had taken to reach the summit was now almost flat, the pathway destroyed. Luigi swallowed once more before glaring at the contraption. If he didn't stop it, the whole mountain would go down! And this was his favorite star-gazing spot! "I swear, if you fire that thing ONE MORE TIME I'm going to-

'KRSSZHHH!' Another dual laser beam erupted from the machine.

"STOP FIRING THAT STUPID THING ALREADY!" Luigi shouted as he jumped out of the way, smacking the mechanical being with the blade, snapping off one of its arms. "Huh?" Luigi blinked, staring at the arm on the ground. "It came off..." Luigi stated before the arm began evaporating into a black flame, the wind whisking it away.

Nothing remained of it.

Luigi looked down towards the ground, his face covered by his hair. The tall plumber began shaking, an evil laughter beginning to erupt from the man in green. Leaping into the air, Luigi lashed at the other arm only for the contraption to dodge. Luigi continued to lash wildly at the machine-like creature, missing each time. Fuming, Luigi jumped at it with everything he had, only for the edge of the mountain to suddenly come into view.

"WAH!" Luigi flailed, trying to regain his balance as he wobbled on the edge of the summit. The contraption rushed at Luigi who started flailing even wilder, knowing he was going to fall. "I DON'T WANNA LOOK LIKE A TOAD! I LIKE MY HEIGHT!" Luigi screamed as the contraption tackled him, the two beginning to tumble down the summit. Luigi screamed, noticing that the contraption was falling next to him. He quickly slammed the blade into the ground, effectively pushing himself away from the mountain as the contraption threw its spinning blade at him. The plumber flipped around, landing on top of the monster before jumping back up the mountain. Using the momentum from his first jump, he began to leap off of small rock ledges protruding from the mountainside. Just as he was reaching the top, he chanced a look back down. Luigi's eyes shrank as the contraption's chest began glowing again. Fearing another blast, Luigi did the only thing he could think of.

He threw the weapon at it.

The mushroom-like key spun rapidly, cutting through the laser beam and slicing right through the metal monster. Latching onto the edge of the summit, Luigi clambered up before breathing hysterically on his back. Something caught his eye as he looked to the sky, only for him to realize it was the blade. Like a boomerang, it had come back to him! However, Luigi's reflexes weren't that great, so instead of catching it, the blade sunk into the ground mere inches above his head. His face pale, Luigi passed out, not noticing the enormous heart that floated up to the sky before disappearing in a flash of light.

* * *

A cloaked figure entered a small dessert town, numerous Bandits, Toads, Koopas and Mousers wandering about. Continuing on through the town, he came upon a small building where a blue Mouser stood outside. The figure leaned against the door, his face hidden from view when he suddenly began shifting through his cloak, silently pulling out a yellow, spherical object. He discreetly handed it to the Mouser, the creature nodding before handing the object back to the cloaked figure. He sidestepped, allowing the figure to enter the building. Taking a quick right, the figure knocked three times on a wall. A hidden door suddenly appeared and, walking outside again, the figure saw a pile of barrels, tents and other equipment that was needed to survive in the dessert. The figure climbed the pile and began to move over the rooftops, quickly coming upon another door. Opening the door, he walked inside before quickly closing it behind him.

"Traveler, what brings you to this place? Only friends of Moustafa are allowed entrance to this house." A cloaked green Mouser said, lying on an ornately decorated sofa. The figure smiled before pulling out the yellow object and tossing it to the green mouse sitting on the comfortable couch. Catching it easily, the Mouser smiled. "You are a friend of Moustafa, for you bring that which he loves most." The mouser looked up, discarding his tan cloak, revealing the ruler of Dry Dry Outpost. "Friend, Moustafa welcomes you, for you have brought him a lemon! Tell me, what is it you need to know?" The figure smiled, pulling back his hood. Moustafa began to smile as the figure's hands fell to his sides.

"I have many questions Moustafa." The man grinned, his smile lightly pushing up his mustache.

* * *

Luigi awoke to find himself in a strange place. Ballroom music filtered into the room, lightly bouncing off of the walls and into his tired ears. He felt lighter than usual, and felt an atmosphere of relaxation. Sitting up, he looked around to find himself on an ornate bed with purple sheets and fluffy pillows. Was he in heaven? He didn't remember having a bed this nice. Luigi stretched before turning to find a window. Maybe he was still alive? After all, did heaven even HAVE windows? Luigi walked to the window to see a beautiful sight.

The sun gleaming in the horizon, reflecting off the surface of the planet.

...wait...WHAT?!

"AAH!" Luigi gawked, staring out the window in horror. "That's it! I'm dead! Three days unconscious, I knew I was going to die! No way I would still be alive!" Luigi shouted, slapping a hand to his face. A quiet coughing sound caught Luigi's attention. Turning around, he came face to face with a Brown star creature. "AAAAAHHH!"

MASTER LUIGI! PLEASE CALM YOURSELF! IT IS MOST UNFITTING FOR A GENTLEMAN LIKE YOURSELF TO BE SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS!" Luigi stared at the brown star before rubbing his eyes and looking back at it.

"P-polari?" The Elder Luma bowed to the plumber. "Did you die too?"

"I DID NOT!" The Brown Elder Luma fumed in irritation. "AND YOU ARE NOT DEAD YOU NINCOMPOOP! YOU ARE-

"On the Comet Observatory." Another voice said walking into the room. "Polari, it is unfitting for you to be screaming at the top of your lungs. Do try to compose yourself." Polari lowered his head/body in embarrassment as a blush seared across Luigi's face. "Welcome back Luigi. It's nice to see you again." Rosalina smiled to the bashful hero. Luigi smiled happily, hearts beginning to float around the love-struck plumber. Rosalina picked up a familiar-looking weapon by the door and examined it for a moment before handing it back to Luigi. "Here, I believe this is yours." Luigi snapped out of his daze before taking the 1-Up Mushroom looking weapon. "I'm sure you have lots of questions, so please follow me."

"To the end of the world..." Luigi mumbled, hearts re-appearing around him the moment Rosalina's hand touched his.

"What was that?"

"N-nothing!" Luigi smiled brightly, sweat rolling down the sides of his face. He hadn't meant to say that out loud. Rosalina watched him for a moment, curious as to what he had said before letting it go.

Luigi followed the Princess of the Cosmos across the Observatory, passing by numerous familiar landscapes. The Kitchen, where he had invented a cupcake snack made with Star Bits. He found out the hard way that Lumas explode when they get happy enough. Of course, they would quickly reappear before asking for more, which had made him laugh for a good while. Then there was the Terrace and the Fountain. He didn't like those games of Hide-and-Seek those Luma kids played. No matter how many times he was 'it', he always found himself under a fountain. He still enjoyed their company though.

Then there was the Garage, where he had made a few nightlights powered by the Observatory's Power Stars. Rosalina never thought she'd have a good night's sleep until after that. Who would have thought that she was just as scared of the dark as the Lumas?

Luigi was soon led to a large room with a round table. Funny, he didn't remember this place the last time he was on the Observatory...must have been a new addition. Entering the room, Luigi found a sight he wasn't quite prepared for. He knew that Merlon said he would be talking with the stars, but he figured it would be a few Star Messengers like Twink.

He wasn't expecting the entire Star Council.

Eldstar,

Mamar,

Skolar,

Muskular,

Misstar,

Klevar,

And finally, Kalmar.

Luigi suddenly felt very nervous as every pair of eyes turned to him. If it were the Lumas, Luigi wouldn't have had a problem, as they would pester and play with him when he wasn't out looking for green Power Stars. No, the eyes that were watching him were the eyes of the sacred Star Spirits.

Being led to a chair, Luigi felt like shrinking into himself. Why in the world was he here? Meeting Rosalina wasn't so bad, but the Star Spirits were another story. Sitting in front of so many Star Spirits, he couldn't help but remember the numerous times he had wished to be a hero like Mario. Then he met Twink and learned why his and Bowser's wishes never came true.

_'Selfish wishes will never be granted by the honorable Star Spirits.'_ Twink had said.

Luigi squirmed once again as Eldstar, the oldest and wisest star of them all, turned to him.

"Welcome Luigi. I'm sure you have many questions." Luigi felt as if he had touched a mini Mushroom and was now like a tiny little penny sitting in a big chair. He was so nervous that he couldn't remember any of the questions that had plagued his mind not long ago.

"Um..." Luigi desperately racked his brain for any questions, looking around for any ideas. He finally noticed the weapon next to him. Picking it up, Luigi placed it on the large table, pushing it forward a little bit. "Wh-what is this?" He hesitantly asked. The weapon suddenly rose up, glowing lightly before landing in the middle of the table.

"This, young Luigi, is what's known as a Keyblade." Eldstar said. "A weapon forged from one's heart. It is a very powerful weapon of the light that few can manage to materialize."

"But...I didn't materialize it. It was already made." Luigi said, turning back to Eldstar. The wise star raised a white, fuzzy eyebrow, prompting him to explain. Twiddling his fingers, Luigi took a deep breath before explaining where he found it.

"The Keyblade Graveyard..." Skolar said fixing his glasses.

"Graveyard?" Luigi thought about the desolate, grey area. "Come to think of it...a lot of the weapons...er, Keyblades...were grey and rusted. And whenever I tried to pick one up, it turned to dust or exploded." Luigi said recalling the numerous times he tried to pick up a weapon. Klevar nodded.

"Of course. Not just anybody can USE a Keyblade. Most have had contact with a Keyblade wielder before they can even use one."

"But...I've never met a Keyblade wielder before..." Luigi said, puzzled over the matter.

"There are still some who have obtained the power of the Keyblade through other means. Close contact with the dead is one such way, though it is not exactly a smart way of doing so." Eldstar said. Luigi turned to the wise star before his eyes widened.

"The UnderWhere!" He said, shocked. While visiting Flipside, Mario, Peach and Bowser had all said they found Luigi in the UnderWhere, though none of them had gotten any Game Over's . He couldn't remember why in the world he was there, but they had all made it out fine. "But...does that mean that Mario, Princess Peach and Bowser can all use the Keyblade as well?" Eldstar closed his eyes, pondering the question.

"It is possible. None truly know how to obtain the Keyblade, but connecting the ways all of those who have obtained the weapon lead to possibilities. Of course, not just anyone will obtain it just because they have brushed close to death. Many Wielders of the Keyblade wield the weapon because it is their destiny. And so it seems that your destiny too is to wield this weapon of light."

Luigi stared at the weapon, confused at the recent events that had transpired. Why doesn't Mario have the Keyblade? Does he? What about Peach and Bowser?

A scene suddenly flashed before Luigi's eyes.

A person was sitting against a tree, shrouded in a colorless cloak. The figure looked up and smiled at him, beckoning the plumber to come closer.

"Luigi!"

"AH!" Luigi gasped as he looked up, finding himself back at the round table. Rosalina stood next to him, her delicate hand on his shoulder.

"What happened?" She asked, worried. Luigi blinked a few times before shaking his head.

"N-nothing...it was nothing..." He took a few breaths before standing up. "Um...excuse me..." He quickly walked out of the room, heading for the restroom. Splashing water onto his face, Luigi sighed. What in the world was that? That person...he didn't ever remember seeing him before. And where was he? The scene was so fuzzy he couldn't see anything other than the person. Taking another deep breath, Luigi dried his face before walking back to the room with the round table. Upon entering the room, he saw Rosalina watching him worriedly. He smiled uneasily as he sat down, the nervousness creeping up his spine not helping the matter. Looking around, Luigi found all eyes were back on him. The plumber began squirming again under all the attention.

"Any other questions Luigi?" Eldstar said turning his attention back to the tall man. Luigi racked his brain for any other questions he had. He was supposed to come here for a specific reason, but with all that had happened lately, he couldn't think straight. He began looking around again before he felt something shift in his pocket. His eyes widened as he finally remembered the main reason he had come to Star Summit.

"That's right!" Luigi shouted as he pounded his fist into his open hand. "After I woke up from the Keyblade Graveyard, Toad Town was a wreck! Princess Peach's castle was even worse, and when I got there, I found this..." He fished into his pocket, pulling out the leather pouch. Opening it up, he revealed the bright blue shard he had found in Peach's room. "I found this in the princess' room. I don't know what it is...but I was hoping you would know...and where Mario and Peach were. And what attacked the town!" The shard floated from his hand to the center of the table, everyone looking at it in curiosity.

"You said you found this in Peach's **_room_**?" Rosalina said glaring at Luigi, the Star Spirits watching the shard very carefully. The plumber flushed as he realized that what he said probably sounded really perverse and invasive, but he quickly spun the conversation back towards seriousness.

"Yeah, and the room was a mess. It looked like Mario fought something there, but it beat him soundlessly. And Bowser wasn't the one who did it; otherwise there would have been claw marks everywhere." Luigi explained. The Star Spirits watched the piece carefully.

"Is there anything else?" Skolar asked Luigi. The plumber crossed his arms in thought.

"Umm...the shard ate a bunch of apples?" Luigi stated, confused himself.

The silence could have killed a Space Bunny.

"It **WHAT!?**"

Luigi held onto his chair tightly, the force of the Star Spirits (+1)'s shout pushing his chair back a few feet.

"Uh...it ate some apples...I hadn't really eaten for about three days, and I found an apple tree along the way...but, when I was looking at it...it took my apple..." Luigi felt like shrinking again from all the incredulous staring.

"Are you sure you weren't just delusional from not eating?" Mamar said, still shocked over what Luigi had said.

"Umm...I hope so?"

Silenced reigned the room, Luigi fidgeting under Mamar, Misstar and Muskular's incredulous stares until Klevar spoke up.

"He was not delusional. Though it IS incredulous. This shard is from Princess Peach's Royal Brooch!" Klevar gawked, Skolar nodding his head in amazed agreement.

"Wait...what?" The group asked in unison, turning to the three wisest Star Spirits.

"Yes. This is a shard from Princess Peach's Brooch, the one she has on her person at all times. Why it has shattered, however, we do not know." Skolar said. Luigi was about to say something when his stomach suddenly growled loudly. The plumber's face flushed in embarrassment, everyone in the room beginning to chuckle.

"You said it was almost three days since you last ate, didn't you?" Rosalina giggled. "Come on. I'll bring you to the kitchen. You can get something to eat there." The blonde princess said standing up from her seat.

"B-but..." Luigi stumbled, turning back to the Star Spirits. Kalmar, the gentlest Star Spirit, nodded in understanding.

"Go on Luigi. We would like to discuss what to do next. Also, would you please leave the shard here? We'd like to try and figure out a way to track the other shards. No doubt finding all of them will prove useful to figuring out what attacked Mario and the princess." Luigi hesitated for a moment before Rosalina took his hand, leading him out of the room.

* * *

In a dark and dreary place, a small figure sat hugging its legs. The floor glowed dimly, giving very little light to the area. Pink high-heels lay next to the figure, the floor being made of a sort of crystal. The figure reached a gloved hand to its chest, revealing an ornate brooch with a hole in it. The hole looked like it would hold a large gem, but it had been removed. A small gurgling sound emanated from the figure, signaling its hunger.

A small gleam of light suddenly caught the figure's attention, causing it to look up. A small red apple fell to the ground and rolled in front of the sitting figure, and as it crawled over to the apple, it stared at it in confusion. Getting pelted in the head with something, the figure noticed it was yet another apple. Soon, numerous apples began falling all around the figure. Taking a small bite out of the nearest apple, the figure's spirits rose slightly, a small glow emanating from its chest. The glow revealed the pink-clad figure to have blonde hair and a golden crown. Princess Peach, hungry from sitting in the dreary place, happily ate away at the apples.

"These apples remind me of something...but what is it?" She stared at the apples around her for a moment, wondering why she felt such joy and happiness with them. As she ate more and more of the rich red fruit, she felt more and more of her strength return. She held the last red apple in her delicate hands, a small feeling of warmth emanating from it. She held it close to her chest, taking in the feeling of warmth and security that came from it. "This warmth...it's nice..." She said quietly, keeping the last apple as her hunger had been satisfied for the moment.


	5. A Strategy half-planned

"Umm...Rosalina?" Luigi asked, sweat pouring down his brow.

"Yes?" She smiled brightly.

"Can you please let go of my hand?" Luigi swallowed heavily. He never thought that he would say those words, yet as he was led to the kitchen, he noticed that Rosalina had only increased her grip on his hand.

"Oh? But what if I like holding your hand?" The brightness of her smile never dimmed.

"But I can't feel it anymore..." Luigi cried comically.

"Oh? Like how you didn't feel any guilt about walking into a woman's room?" Her smile faded, revealing a dark silhouette of her face. Luigi felt like screaming out in pain, but somehow refrained from doing so as he felt her break his hand.

"W-w-well I-I-I d-didn't m-mean t-t-to." Luigi knew that his hand had snapped. No doubt about it. He was sure that if she ever let go of his now broken hand, he'd see that the glove was stained red. A Luma floated in front of Rosalina, watching sadly as it saw Luigi in pain. Turning back to the man, she found Luigi to be staring at the Keyblade. Sighing, she let go of his hand, turning around to face him full-on.

"Luigi, surely you're not THAT down...The Star Spirits said that they would help you find your treasured ones, so there's nothing to worry about, yes?" Luigi stared at the weapon in his other hand, his eyebrows narrowing.

"I don't even know what to do..." He sighed once more. "There's just been so much going on, I can't even think straight..."

"Well, then we'd better get you something to eat, so you can think clearly." Rosalina said smiling as Luigi looked back to her. She was smiling at him, but it didn't feel like the smile from earlier. It didn't give him the feeling like she was ready to beat him upside the head at a moment's notice. "After all, once the Star Spirits find out what to do next, you'll no doubt be off to search for them. So let's whip you up a good meal~!"

No...this smile felt genuine, like she really meant it. Luigi then noticed that his hand, which he was sure was broken, was completely healed, glove cleaned and all. Leading him into the kitchen, the Lumas were soon floating around, helping their momma make something delicious for the funny guy from before. The last time he was here, he would play with the Lumas and even make treats for them, as he was a pretty good cook. As he was watching Rosalina and her children make the meal, he felt a warmth swell in his chest. He smiled as a Luma munched on a Star-Bit cupcake.

This was nice...it kind of felt like...

"Home..." Luigi smiled, relaxing in the energetic atmosphere of the Lumas and their Momma.

* * *

A small orange-capped toad looked up to the sky, the stars slowly appearing as the sun disappeared behind the horizon. In his hands he held a bucket of water, its contents slightly moving back and forth. Returning to a small, slightly damaged house, he put the bucket of water down near a small bed. He grabbed a nearby rag and dipped it into the cool water, placing it on a small orange-capped Toad girl's head, her face pale. Her breathing was erratic and heavy, though it calmed slightly as the wet rag cooled her head.

"Don't worry Lily, soon you'll be running around just like always." The boy said clasping the small girl's hand. She smiled to her older brother, nodding slightly. Standing up, he returned outside. "I'm off again mom!" He said waving to an older yellow-capped toad.

"Take care Todd!" She said to the retreating form of her son. She sighed as he disappeared, turning back to the frail girl lying in bed. "Star Spirits...watch over them..." She prayed.

The young Toadstool slowed to a walk as he followed the trail to town.

Newsong, a town just a little to the east of Toad Town. It wasn't hit quite as hard as Toad Town was, but it still took quite a bit of damage from the invasion of the black creatures. Todd had lived there for only a little while, maybe a year or two. He didn't have a lot of friends, but he had his family.

His little sister, Lily, was severely ill from a disease that he had little knowledge about. Something about the lungs and a rapidly rising body temperature. His father moved the family to Newsong because of the fresh air, people and job opportunities, but mostly in the hopes that the fresh air would be able to help his daughter recover from her illness. His mother planted with a girl named Minh T. a lot, making both Toad Town and Newsong beautiful places to live. She had quickly gained popularity on the Town's committee with her bright smile and her upbeat attitude. His father worked as a Border Guard for the nearby Toll Road between Koopa Village and Toad Town, though he was now helping Newsong and Toad Town with repairs.

As Todd entered the town, he watched as the other residents continued to try and recover from the devastation of the attack. He saw a Palace Guard giving out orders, scribbling things down on a pad of paper. Numerous Toads ran up to him, talking to him for only a few moments before they ran off again. A faint voice caught his attention, and turning, Todd saw a destroyed house. His eyes widened as he heard the faint cry for help once more. He rushed over to the house, seeing a giant boulder had crashed through the roof. Focusing energy into his fist, Todd shouted, smashing the boulder into pieces. He smiled as a trap door was revealed to beneath the rock. It opened up before three Toads stumbled out. The three fell to the ground in front of him, ragged and starved. Todd shouted to the townspeople that he needed food and water.

One of the things that he liked about Newsong and Toad Town is that they had their own respected Dojo's. Toad Town had two students who lived with 'The Master' while Newsong had an old Monty Mole who could really knock your block off. Todd had been training for four years at the Dojo from his last hometown, and he had already climbed the ranks of Newsong's Dojo.

As the three were carried away to the infirmary, Todd took a deep breath. He vowed he would get revenge on the monsters that attacked Toad Town and Newsong, and he would also find a way to heal his sister.

* * *

"This is a problem..." Eldstar said, looking around the large round table. The other Star Sprits nodded in agreement. "Princess Peach has gone missing, her only whereabouts having been known three days ago. Even worse..." The Star Spirits turned to look at the shining blue shard at the center of the table. "The Royal Brooch, a replica of The Seal, has been shattered."

"But, wait..." Klevar said, clutching his book. "Luigi had said that the Heartless were the ones that attacked Toad Town...but, if The Seal is still in its resting place, how could they have surfaced?"

"I do not know...but I have a bad feeling about all of this." Eldstar said, watching the shard in worry.

"Eldstar...what if the door...what if something happened to it?" Skolar said, turning to the wisest star. The aged star's eyes widened.

"The Door to the End...it's possible...if something happened to it...or perhaps The Seal..."

"So...are we gonna do what I think we're gonna do?" Muskular asked, hinting at the door to the room they were currently talking in.

The decision weighed heavily in the air.

"Huh? Why's everyone so quiet?"

The Star Spirits turned to the hinted door, Luigi and Rosalina having walked into the room.

"Is everything all right?" Rosalina spoke, noticing the tension.

"Yeah! You guys look like you're going to be sending someone to his grave! Hahaha!" Luigi laughed, his mood having increased greatly since eating. Rosalina noticed the gloomy atmosphere in the room, and how all the star spirits were looking sadly at Luigi.

'_Uh-oh...'_

* * *

"A Door?" Luigi asked, sitting down once more.

"Yes...It is a special door, one that might explain the appearance of the Heartless."

Luigi tilted his head in confusion at the name.

"The black creatures." Skolar explained.

"Ah." Luigi nodded his head, crossing his arms. "So you want ME to find this door?" The Star Spirits shook their heads.

"No. We know where the door is...it is in a very special place. We would like you to go to it and then contact us with this." Kalmar lifted his arm, the blue crystal shard floating back over to Luigi.

"The shard? But, I thought it was part of Princess Peach's brooch..." Luigi asked, looking from the shard in his hand to the Star Spirits.

"The Royal Brooch has been a special heirloom of the Royal Family for millennia, but along with it there was a special replica created. This replica is a source of infinite light and it has kept the Heartless at bay for thousands of years. But with it broken, the heartless are able to freely roam about the Mushroom world. And now..."

"And now..." Luigi held back a gulp.

"And now, the Heartless are already on the surface world. Something has happened to the Door to the End, and we must ask you to find out what happened. If it is as we fear, then the world may be doomed as we know it."

Luigi began to pale.

"Luigi, Mario has gone missing. We have no idea where he is or how to contact him. So the only thing we can do is send YOU to The Door to the End. From there, we will decide what to do next."

"So, um...where IS this, Door to the End?" Luigi asked, trying to keep his good mood around for a few moments longer.

* * *

"Who'da thought that a special door was right under our noses?" Luigi mused, staring once more at the cracked platform on Star Summit. "Though I probably should've expected this..." Luigi looked over his new outfit, amazed at how comfortable it was. "And who would have thought that Rosalina was such a good seamstress?" He said aloud, contemplating the events that had transpired before he returned to the summit.

_Luigi stood before the Gateway to the Mushroom Kingdom, still nervous about what he was going to be doing. He knew it wasn't going to be easy. Even worse, the smile that Eldstar gave him as he was leaving wasn't a "You'll be fine" kind of smile. It was a, "I hope you don't die" kind of smile. _

_WHO WOULD JOKE ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT!?_

"_Luigi..." A voice spoke up, causing the distraught plumber to jump in surprise._

"_H-huh? Oh!" Luigi turned around to see Rosalina standing behind him, holding some clothes and a large leather pouch with multiple compartments. "Wh-what's this?" He asked as Rosalina handed him the apparel._

"_Something to help you on your journey. I knew from the day we met that you would be going on an adventure of your own soon, so..." A light blush crept across her face. "I, w-well, um...G-good luck!" With that, the blonde woman rushed off to another part of the observatory, leaving the tall plumber to wonder what had just transpired._

_Luigi blinked as he looked down at the clothes. Setting them lightly on the ground, Luigi found a Cerulean T-shirt, Silver shorts with a Star belt, some new shoes and..._

"_Oh wow." He stated, lifting up a flannel-like shirt that had a black, wave-like pattern on the sleeves, a black spike-like pattern on the bottom half of the shirt and a green 1-Up Mushroom on the back. It looked like a lot of work was put into making the outfit._

"_Lady Rosalina put much work into those clothes, and even blessed them with Star Power. She also made an Adventurer's Pouch so you can hold numerous items as you go on your journey." Polari said floating over to Luigi. "She poked herself with the needle I don't know HOW many times." The elder Luma sighed. "She's not used to making clothes, the Lumas having no need for such things. The only clothes she's ever made are her own, so her sewing skills are lacking a bit...but know that these clothes were made with care. DON'T LOSE THEM." Polari glared sternly at Luigi, the plumber nodding meekly._

* * *

Luigi smiled as he pulled out the crystal shard and held it up. The shard gleamed brightly before a low rumbling sound came from the cracked platform, the ground giving in to reveal a spiral staircase going deep into the mountain. Luigi took a deep breath before taking his first step into the abyss.


	6. Todd the Martial Artist

"Wow. Ancient." Luigi said, looking around at what looked like an underground city. Not even the chirping of a cricket was heard, Luigi feeling strangely conscious of the fact that he was alone. Everything was grey and colorless, like time itself had stopped here. Looking up, he saw a large chapel just down the street. It looked like the road he was on would take him straight to it. As the chapel came closer, Luigi suddenly felt as if he was being watched. Glancing behind him, he saw nothing but the deserted city. What was a city like this doing underneath Star Summit anyway? Turning around, he found himself at the front doors of the chapel. Taking a deep breath to calm his shaky nerves, Luigi pushed doors open.

It was a lovely little chapel, though it could use a little dusting here and there, but what really caught Luigi's attention was a strange door in the back of the chapel and an ornate little alter in front of it. The alter looked like it had a hole on the top in the center, at least from where Luigi stood, and the Door was pure white, with grey symbols each engraved just above a keyhole. Walking over to the alter, Luigi found the hole to actually be a keyhole. Looking up to the door, Luigi found there to be seven symbols, a keyhole below each of the seven, and a strange indent in the center of the door. Luigi walked over to the door to take a closer look at the symbols.

From the bottom left, it arched around the door, stopping at the bottom right. It showed, from the bottom left;

A boulder,

A drop of water,

A tree,

A gear,

A flame,

A fluffy cloud,

And finally a bolt of lightning.

Luigi stared at each keyhole in odd fascination, wondering what each symbol meant. His pocket suddenly started vibrating however, causing Luigi to jump in surprise.

"W-what the-?" Luigi reached into his pocket to see that the leather pouch he kept the shard in was vibrating, as if someone was trying to call him or something. "Oh yeah!The Star Spirits!" Luigi exclaimed before plopping the shard into his open hand. He slightly jumped as a giant hologram of Eldstar appeared before him, the shard glowing brightly.

_"Greetings Luigi. It seems you have found the door..."_ Eldstar looked around to find the chapel grey and colorless._ "Oh my. It seems things are worse than we thought...have you seen any Truffles?"_

"Truffles?" Luigi asked, raising an eyebrow.

_"Yes, Truffles. They are akin to the Ravens species, but white in color with black eyes. They have long since guarded this place. But seeing as I do not sense any around, I must assume the worse has happened to them."_ Eldstar then turned around to face the large Door. _"Oh dear...it seems Skolar was right in his concerns..."_ He spoke sadly.

"What do you mean?"

_"Luigi, before you is what is known as 'The Door to the End'. It is the door to a chamber that has long since been used to hold the Heartless captive, so that their destructive ways could be contained. But alas, do you see the hole in the indentation in the middle of the door?"_ Luigi nodded, noticing the strange area of the door. It looked like something was missing. _"That hole used to contain a seal, a large jewel very much like Princess Peach's Royal Brooch. However, as you can see, it no longer rests in its proper place. Someone has broken the seal of the Heartless..."_

"And you think that's how the Heartless are free?" Eldstar nodded. "But who could have broken the seal?" Luigi pondered.

_"We do not know, but it is best you find a way to reclaim the Seven Crystal Keys. Without them, the Heartless will continue to roam the upper world."_

"But how will I be able to find them?" Luigi asked. Eldstar pointed to the alter in front of the door.

_"Luckily, whoever broke the seal forgot to destroy the alter as well. Insert your Keyblade, and the way will be made clear. Good Luck Luigi."_ And with that, Eldstar disappeared, the Crystal Shard dimming until it lightly glimmered in the dim light of the Chapel.

Luigi watched the shard for a moment before placing it back in its pouch. Deciding to save him the trouble of being startled again, Luigi hung the pouch around his neck instead of putting it in his pocket. Turning back to the alter, Luigi pulled the Keyblade from its resting place in his belt and aligned it with the keyhole. Stabbing the weapon into the opening, Luigi twisted the 'key' until he heard a 'Click'. A low rumbling sound shook the chapel, Luigi trying unsuccessfully to keep his balance. Upon smacking his head onto a statue, the rumbling stopped. Luigi, eyes rolling, shook his head to rid himself of the dizziness before a paper dropped into his lap. Picking up the paper, Luigi's eyes widened.

"This kind of looks like a map of the Mushroom World..." Luigi exclaimed. His eyes narrowed however as he traced rivers, lakes, mountains and other landmarks on the map. "But...it looks really outdated...I'll probably need to find a specialist if I want to read this thing right..." He sighed in defeat. Luigi then stood up before putting the Map into his Adventure Pouch. Turning back to the entrance of the Chapel, he suddenly had a very bad feeling about this place.

'I'd better get moving...' Luigi thought, quickly exiting the chapel. He looked back to the Chapel, his eyes finding the bell tower above it to see two silhouettes staring back at him. 'DOUBLE TIME!' Luigi panicked, picking up his pace ten-fold.

Luigi wheezed as he collapsed outside the entrance to the old town. He didn't know what he saw, and he didn't want to find out. He didn't so much as twitch as the staircase disappeared, not leaving a single trace of the entrance ever existing on Star Summit.  
"It might have been Heartless..." Luigi told himself, still unnerved by the event. "Or, it could have been those Truffles..." Luigi thought, remembering Eldstar's words. Either way, he was out of the city, and he didn't plan on going back for a while. Taking another deep breath, Luigi calmed himself. "Well...guess I better go looking for a Map specialist." Luigi said aloud. The only place he could think of was that one town near Toad Town. There was a map specialist there, an old Koopa by the name of Gregory. "All right, off to Newsong." He nodded.

As the plumber left for the small town, he didn't notice the shadow that watched him from a good distance away.

* * *

Upon reaching the town, Luigi's heart sank. Toad Town wasn't the only place that was suffering from the Heartless attack. And Luigi knew that it would only continue to spread unless he put a stop to it.

_'Maybe I'm not cut out for this...I can't even stop a soccer ball unless it hits my face…'_ He gloomed. Looking down, he caught sight of his shoes, as well as the rest of his new attire.

* * *

_"It was made with great care."_

* * *

_"I...well...Um...g-good luck!"_

* * *

Luigi smiled. Maybe he WAS cut out for this.

_'After all...it may have been with my face, but I still stopped the ball.'_ The plumber grinned as he started his way into the town.

Luigi quickly felt out of place as numerous Koopas, Toads and Goombas rushed all over the town, transporting either food and water to another area of the town, or just carrying injured people. Had there really been this much destruction? Multiple times he had tried asking for help, and multiple times he had been ignored. Not that he could blame them. Sighing in irritation, Luigi felt a tap on his side. Turning, he saw an orange-capped Toad looking up at him.

"Is there something you're looking for sir?" He asked. Luigi nodded, thanking the small mushroom fellow.

"I'm looking for an old Koopa who goes by the name Gregory. Do you know where I can find him?"

"Old man Gregory? Yeah, he's the mayor. He's busy requesting help from Toad Town, but I can take you to him anyway."

Luigi smiled. "Thank you, I'd really appreciate it." The tall Keyblade wielder followed the Toad until he came upon a damaged, but still standing nonetheless, house.

"Mr. Mayor sir, you have a visitor." The Toad said after knocking on the door. Luigi smiled as he came into the room, Gregory smiling as he looked up from his paperwork.

"Ah, Luigi, good to see you. Thank you Todd." The old brown-shelled Koopa smiled, thanking the orange-capped Toad. "It's been quite a while...what brings you here, 'Mr. Hero'?" Todd's ears twitched upon hearing Gregory's referral to Luigi. The plumber blushed as he began rubbing the back of his neck.

"Come on Greg, it's been forever since I last went on an adventure with my bro. We've been playing tennis and racing Go-karts lately more than anything else." Luigi grinned before turning serious. "I see the attack hit this town about as hard as Toad Town..." Gregory sighed.

"I was afraid of that...we haven't heard anything from our messengers, so the only thing we can assume is that they're either injured or...worse..."

The silence hung heavily in the air. After a moment, Luigi took a deep breath, breaking the silence.

"Greg...I'm calling up one of my favors." Luigi started.

"Oh?" The aged Koopa raised a fuzzy white eyebrow, a smirk playing on his face. "I never thought I'd hear the day, considering you and your brother always denied me the honor of returning your kindness. Though you must know the position I'm in, so resources are quite scarce." Luigi nodded in understanding before setting the map down in front of him.

""Don't worry, I'm just going to need some of your expertise, none of your drinking buddies." The tall man chuckled before looking back down to the map. "I was sent by Merlon to the Star Spirits the other day...I think I might have found a way to stop those black creatures." The aged turtle furrowed his fuzzy eyebrows.

"You mean there are more?" A slight tone of fear trickled into the Koopa's voice.

"Hundreds...possibly thousands..." Luigi himself was more than a little intimidated at the idea. "But, if we don't stop them, it's not just the Mushroom World that will be destroyed..." Luigi took a deep breath before pointing back at the Map. "The Star Spirits led me to a special door that once sealed the Heartless..." He noticed Gregory's confused look. "Err, the black creatures...but someone broke the seal on the door. If we want to seal them back up, I need to find Seven Crystal Keys." Gregory peered over the map, suddenly very intrigued. "From what Eldstar said, this map should lead us to the Keys...but, I don't exactly know how to read this map...it looks like-

"A map from the second Mushroom war!" Gregory exclaimed in shock.

"Huh?"

"This map is from the time period of the Second Mushroom War. It was the war that many Goombas defected to Dark Land. It was a time of great strife, when the entire Mushroom World was encompassed...where did you find this?" Gregory asked, looking up at the man in curiosity.

"I found it in an ancient city that the Star Spirits led me to. It was in the same room as a door called 'The Door to the End'."

"Ah...so THAT'S where this stems from..." The Koopa's eyes were downcast as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Gregory?" Luigi asked, curious as to the old turtle's quiet reaction.

"This map is very old and VERY outdated...even I won't be able to decipher everything with my abilities..." Luigi sighed, dropping his head in disappointment. "...but this area..." Luigi looked back up at the map as Gregory pointed to a mountain range on the map. "This is where Dry Dry Dessert now exists. In fact, it's not far from Dry Dry Outpost." He nodded, tapping the spot twice before leaning back into his chair.

"Really?" Luigi asked, looking at the map. Luigi leaned closer, the leather pouch hanging around his neck falling out from behind his shirt and skimming along the map. A flash of light suddenly blinded all in the room. When Luigi could finally see again, a glimmering key was marked on the mountain range. "Oh! The map!" Luigi exclaimed.

"Well I'll be a piece 'o Koopa loot! I don't know what you just did, but you just unveiled the location of a key!"

"Yeah...but it looks like only one key is visible right now..." Luigi sighed dejectedly.

"BOG-WASH! You at least know where ONE is! And I'd bet my own left shoe that once you get that key, the location of the next one will show up sooner or later! Now get goin'! I'll send a letter to a good friend of mine that you're coming. Just head to the Desert Flower Inn once you get to Dry Dry Outpost and we'll take care of everything else."

Luigi nodded, smiling gratefully to the old Koopa. "Thanks Greg." The plumber stood up straight, picking up the map and beginning to roll it up before a voice stuttered off to the side.

"Umm...Excuse me." Turning, Luigi found the Orange-capped Toad that had led him to the building Greg had been occupying.

"Oh! Todd! I hadn't even noticed you there! Have you been there this entire time?" The old Koopa a questioned, a twinkle in his eye. The boy swallowed quietly before nodding.

"Um...I know I shouldn't have eavesdropped…but," He turned to Luigi. "You...you said that those black things…those 'Heartless'…there are tons of them..." Luigi nodded hesitantly. "But, there's a way to stop them?"

Luigi breathed a tense sigh. "It's...complicated. It's a Do-or-Die thing at this point, and I'm not even sure if it's going to work, or even if I'll be able to get all of the keys..." Luigi looked down at the map, mulling in thought before nodding. "But after seeing both Toad Town and Newsong...I have to try." Luigi began to chuckle. "Besides, if I don't at least try, my brother will chew me out big time." Luigi grinned, thinking of Mario scolding at him for giving up too easily. Todd stared at the ground, clenching his fists tightly. He swung his head up, looking at Luigi in fierce determination.

"Please! Let me come with you!" Todd suddenly shouted, bowing to the nostalgically induced plumber.

Luigi was completely caught off guard, and answered the Toad's request with a simple, "Huh?"

"Those...things...they destroyed my entire town...and, my sister..." He clenched his fists tighter. "We moved here so she could recover from her illness...but, if these monsters, these Heartless, if they aren't stopped, then we came here for nothing!" He bowed deeper to Luigi. "So please! Let me come with you! I want to help in any way I can!"

"I...I don't know..." Luigi hesitated. Gregory began to chuckle at the two, stroking his small white goatee in amusement as Luigi stumbled over the request.

"It would be a wise decision to bring him with, Luigi. Despite his size, he has a good amount of experience with the Martial Arts. He's actually one of the best in the city. Of course, I'm still the best...though I'm not in the position, nor the best condition to go with you." Luigi turned to the old Koopa, staring at the old man in curiosity. Was it really such a good idea to bring this kid along? Luigi looked down at the map, staring at the mountain range.

* * *

_"Luigi you've got to go on your own adventure sometime! You'll meet lots of awesome people, and you'll make friends that'll stick up for you no matter what! An adventure isn't any fun unless there are others there with you! And remember, two heads are always better than one."_

* * *

Luigi smiled, remembering Mario's words after his last journey. Looking to the greatly determined Toad, Luigi sighed, a smile on his face.

_'He'll probably follow after even if I say no...'_ The plumber hummed in amusement.

"All right." Luigi said nodding.

"No buts! I'm coming with you even if I have to-wait, really?" Todd stopped halfway through his rant, shocked at Luigi's answer. The plumber shrugged before scratching the back of his head.

"I mean, two heads are better than one, and I'm pretty sure you'll follow me even if I say no." He turned to Todd with a knowing grin on his face. "Am I right?"

"Y...YEAH! I would!" Todd stated, clenching his fist in excitement. Luigi smiled as he finished tying up the map before placing it into his Adventure Pouch.

"It's getting late, so I think I'll spend the night in town. Meet me at the front gate tomorrow, and don't forget to say goodbye to your family, because you won't be seeing them for a good while." Luigi warned the Toad, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"R-right!" Todd saluted Luigi before rushing out of the house, Luigi sighing as he rubbed his forehead.

"Ho ho ho, you've made a wise decision Luigi." Gregory chuckled as Todd clicked the door shut.

"Yeah? Well right now I'm feeling pretty stupid..." He sighed pathetically before waving back to Gregory. "I'll see you around. And thanks...for everything." Luigi smiled to the Koopa before disappearing out the door. The brown Koopa smiled as he leaned back in his chair, wondering how everything would turn out.

"A wise decision...eh, Marcus?" Gregory mumbled to himself as he began to rock in his chair.


	7. Rugged times on Mt Rugged

A gentle sigh escaped Luigi's lips, the plumber watching as numerous trees passed by. Small houses, a few farms, even the Mushroom Kingdom international Airport appeared in the distance before fading into the glimmering horizon. The plumber smirked as he saw the energetic Toad watching everything pass by, watching with child-like enthusiasm.

"Oh wow! Look at how fast we're going! Oh! Look at that! Oh! That looks cool too!"

"I'll take it you've never gotten on a train before?" Luigi smirked as Todd turned back to his seat. The Toad shook his head.

"No, we've only ever used buggy and car. I've never even been on a plane or a train before..." Todd explained. Luigi nodded.

"All right then, enjoy the trip. We'll be taking the train back once we finish our mission in the desert." Luigi said as he relaxed into the chair of the Mushroom express. He had saved up more than enough money to pay for both his and Todd's tickets, and with some of the supplies he had picked up in Newsong, he was sure they wouldn't be finding any problems anytime soon. Whenever he was on an adventure with Mario, it was always a panic of whether or not they had enough coins, or whether or not they should have grabbed more items from the store. "It's nice when you don't have to worry..." Luigi mumbled happily.

"Um...Mister Luigi?"

Luigi cracked an eye open to see Todd sitting nervously across from him. "Yeah?" The Toad fidgeted for a moment.

"Umm...exactly where are we going? And what for?" Luigi looked up to the ceiling, taking a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Well, from what Gregory told me, the first Crystal Key is somewhere in Dry Dry Desert. We're heading to the outpost closest to the heart of the desert, Dry Dry Outpost. From there we look for clues to the Crystal Key. The first thing we have to do however is find Gregory's friend..." Luigi held up a piece of paper, staring at its message. "We have to go to the Desert Flower Inn..."

* * *

A blue-shelled Hammer Bro. looked around the dusty dessert, looking around desperately for an oasis. His canteen having long since been emptied, he needed to find a source of water soon, or else he would become just like his desert companions.

"Don't wanna end up like you guys..." He said, swallowing heavily as he saw the numerous bones of the desert. He looked behind him to see nothing but sand. He forgot how long he had been traveling. How many hours had it been since he realized he wouldn't be able to go back the way he came? He looked at the sandy ground, the wind blowing away his most recent tracks. Looking back up, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"I'm not gonna go down here. I'm gonna find him, and he'll pay." He said to himself, walking off into the howling desert.

* * *

"So, Dry Dry Outpost right? Just head up Rugged Trail and you'll eventually find yourself at the beginning of Dry Dry Desert. Keep following the dirt path and you'll find the town." The conductor explained, pointing towards the start of the trail. Luigi thanked the Toad, tipping his hat to him. Turning and picking up a small bag, he and Todd began their trek up the mountain.

"So, have you ever been to Dry Dry Outpost before Mister Luigi?"

"You don't have to call me mister, Todd," Luigi smirked. "And no, actually. I've been to a few towns myself, but never to a desert town like this." The man smiled nervously while scratching his nose lightly. "I'm actually kinda excited about it. Granted you have to be careful because desert towns tend to have bandits and thieves, so when we get there, watch your wallet." He warned. Crossing a rickety bridge, Luigi looked down, nervous about how high they had gotten. He had forgotten about his fear of heights.

The winding path went all around the mountain, dipping and rising before curling around another mountain. Mount Rugged wasn't just ONE mountain, it was a series of them. And they were all in different kinds of shapes and sizes. Though it was a rough trek, Luigi did admit that the view was amazing. The sun slowly rising up over the clouds in the mountain range was a wonderful sight, and the wind was nice and cool. And yes, even that black shadow that was coming closer and closer looked cool...wait, WHAT?

"DUCK!" Luigi shouted, the Toad and the plumber hitting the ground as a giant bird swooped over their heads.

"I'm not a duck! I'm a buzzard! Buzzar the Buzzard to be exact!" The giant bird bellowed, its giant black wings flapping loudly as it hovered a few feet away from the two adventurers. "And I'm here on a mission! You!" It pointed to Luigi, who slowly stood back up before tensing.

"Y-y-yes?" The bald buzzard reached into its feathers before pulling out a piece of paper. Reading its contents, it put the note back into its feathers before glaring at Luigi.

"What's yer name?" The plumber blinked, wondering whether or not he should actually give his name. He felt this situation sounded familiar, like something Mario told him about...but why? This bad feeling in the pit of his stomach was causing him to worry, and though he was sure nobody would know much about him, he'd rather not be known outside of Toad Town. So yes, a cover name seemed appropriate.

"U-um..." Luigi fumbled, thinking of a cover name.

"It's Luigi!" Todd shouted defiantly, Luigi's face paling. That was the exact thing he was trying to avoid! The buzzard looked taken back by the shout, but nonetheless watched the plumber carefully.

"Oh, sorry. I'm looking for a fella named Mario." Luigi's eyes widened as the buzzard apologized. "Didn't mean ta' bother ya."

"Why are you looking for my bro?" Luigi's eyes went comically white before he slapped his mouth shut a moment after he spoke.

Too late.

"What was that? Your brother?" The buzzard glared angrily at Luigi. "Then you probably know where he is!" The buzzard prepared to swoop in before Luigi began waving his arms frantically.

"W-w-wait! I don't know where he is!"

The buzzard stopped mid-swoop.

"Oh, I'm sorry...thought you would know..." The bird apologized before seemingly remembering something. "Wait a minute...Oh-hoh! I see...you Mario's think you're tricky, don'cha?" The bird glared at Luigi, who seemed confused on the matter. "Well I'm not a dumb bird! Your brother tricked me once, I won't be fooled again!" The big black bird screeched before swooping down at the green thunder.

"W-w-wait! Can't we talk this over?" Luigi pleaded, trying not to get into a fight as he rolled out of the way. He didn't like fighting, mostly because he was pretty weak, but that didn't matter at this point. The more prominent reason was that he was now looking down.

WAAAAAY down.

Then again, seeing as they were on the side of a mountain, it seemed like it was a pretty good reason not to fight. However it appeared as if the bird had shut its ears in an attempt to not be persuaded by the tricky brother, and continued to swoop down again and again at the twosome. Diving behind a rock, Luigi panted, Todd collapsed in a heap next to him.

"Wha...what are we going...to do?" Todd wheezed. Luigi glanced from behind the rock, hoping to catch sight of the bird. He saw it looking around, having lost sight of them in his most recent swoop.

"We gotta find a way out of here...but he's a bird, so not only can he fly, but he'll be able to spot us from a good few miles away...not to mention that he'll easily be able to catch up to us..." Luigi tried to figure out a way out of this mess. How could he distract a bird? And how was it that their adventure had only just started and they were already running into trouble?

"Maybe one of us could dress up as a female bird and try to flirt with him?" Todd suggested. Luigi spun around immediately and stared at the Toad in a mixture of shock and incredibility.

"How much television have you been watching lately?" He questioned the boy.

"Not that much..." Todd replied innocently.

"Then maybe you should stop indefinitely. THAT'S THE MOST IDIOTIC IDEA I'VE EVER HEARD!" Luigi shouted in rage, an image of a blue cat cross-dressing to get a brown mouse appearing in his mind.

"Hey! I heard you!" Luigi turned white before frantically looking around. There had to be something he could use...SOMETHING! He spotted a small alcove off to the side of their hiding place, just big enough to hide both of them. Looking up and seeing the buzzard turning towards them, Luigi grabbed the Toad and darted for the alcove. "THERE YOU ARE!"

"CRUD!" Luigi threw Todd at the cave, spinning around and taking a full-on tackle from the massive bird. The bird grabbed the plumber's arms before taking off high into the air, Luigi flailing wildly. The buzzard buckled as he fell into a steady glide, Luigi gasping as his eye caught sight of something loosening from his belt.

"THE MAP!" Luigi panicked, the directional piece of paper falling out from its pouch. The plumber struggled desperately to fasten the map back, but the buzzard would allow no more movement. Luigi's eyes shrank as he saw the map begin to be blow away in the wind, the buzzard flapping it's wings and sending it down in the opposite direction of the two.

"Oh no yeh don't. No more strugglin, yah' hear? You gotta look presentable when I bring you to Bowser!" The buzzard looked forward as he began to fly away, knowing Luigi wouldn't try something irrational.

"**THUNDER!"**

**OR**...maybe he would...

A bright blue bolt of lightning shot down from a practically clear sky, blasting the large black bird and causing it to release it's grip on Luigi.

'_Don't look down, don't look down! Focus on the map! The Map! THE MAAAP!' _Luigi chanted desperately in his head, trying to focus on getting the map. Pulling his arms and legs into himself, Luigi angled for the wildly flailing piece of paper. _'Almost...there...' _He reached a hand out, the paper just barely touching his finger before he was snatched out of the sky.

"NO!" Luigi gasped in horror as he was yanked away from the map.

"You'll pay for that you wild little animal!" Buzzar screeched as he tried to grab Luigi's other arm with his remaining talon. Spinning his body weight, Luigi flipped around before landing a hard kick to the bird's head, causing it to see stars. The green thunder then took the momentum of his return spin to flip onto the back of the buzzard before grabbing hold of the large bird's wings.

"DIVE CHICKEN!" Luigi shouted desperately, angling the wings towards the ground, the map barely in view. The two picked up speed, Buzzar still dizzy from the sudden kick. Luigi narrowed his eyes, trying to keep the map in view as the two dive-bombed after the old parchment. The wind whipped by his face, leaving the plumber teary-eyed from the rapid descent, though he refused to close his eyes. If he blinked for even a second, he would lose sight of the map. Buzzar, however, had a different plan. Finally shaking the dizziness off, he struggled to regain control of his wings. The two battled it out, Luigi trying to maintain control and Buzzar struggling to get it back. The bird suddenly shoved his body into a spiral dive, Luigi losing his grip and falling towards the mountain base. Grinning in satisfaction as he stopped spinning, Buzzar only had time to squawk as a large mountain came into view, the bird slamming into it before spiraling towards another mountain, Luigi falling further and further to the ground. The last thing Luigi heard before he hit the trees was Todd shouting his name in terror.

* * *

.

..

...

"Oh...my head..." Luigi groaned, sitting up and shaking his head. He looked down at himself to find himself on a bed. Wait, where was he? Looking around, Luigi found himself to be in a shack of some sort. Weird...last thing he remembered was falling off of that buzzard. The plumber attempted to sit up, only for a searing pain to shoot through his left leg. Looking down, Luigi's eyes shrank. He wasn't wearing any shoes, rather a strange pair of sandals, and his left leg had a splint wrapped next to it. Thinking back on it, Luigi did agree that his leg should have been missing, considering the height he fell from...but there remained a bigger question in his mind.

"I wonder who found me..." Luigi looked around to find a crutch of sorts and managed to get a hold of it without putting much stress on his foot. Limping out of the shack, Luigi looked around to find a strange sight. Numerous Toads, Koopas and Goombas were all walking around, chatting. Luigi never would have guessed to find a mountain town on Mt. Rugged. He hadn't seen anything like it as he and Todd were traversing the mountain...

"TODD! OH CRAP!" Luigi smacked his forehead, having completely forgotten about the small toad. Who knew where the small Toad had wound up after he threw him into that alcove. Luigi groaned, also remembering something ELSE that got lost. "Man, I can't seem to keep anything on me..." He sighed, his shoulders drooping.

"Oh! You're awake!" Luigi looked up at the voice, his eyes widening and his jaw nearly hitting the ground. A beautiful, long-haired brunette stood in front of him wearing a long brown dress, a small beaded necklace and a pair of sandals. She was holding a basket of small fruit, and her bright blue eyes smiled gently to him. "Welcome to Aired, the High-Peak mountain town!" She looked down to see Luigi's splinted leg. "It looks like you're healing up nicely, and I see you're using the crutch I got for you."

"Ah! Oh, um, s-so this is YOUR handiwork?" Luigi looked to his splinted leg and the crutch under his left arm. The brunette smiled brightly at the praise. "Th-thank you very much. Are...are you the one who..." Luigi trailed off, though she nodded in understanding.

"I'm Diana. And yes, I'm the one who found you by the river at the base of the mountain." She giggled as she held a hand to her mouth. "I couldn't just leave you there, so I got my father and some of the villagers to help you back up the mountain." She looked back down to Luigi's foot. "We found you unconscious, floating down the river. Your ankle was broken, and we figured you'd passed out or something. My father has been waiting for you to awaken, so please, follow me."

Luigi slowly hobbled along with Diana, amazed at the amount of activity going on around the small town. How had this town not been put on the map? Was it a sort of village that kept to itself? Did that mean...Luigi swallowed lightly...he wouldn't be leaving? Fear shot up the plumber's spine, suddenly feeling nervous about all the villagers. It heightened once he was lead to a large tent, undoubtedly the leader's home.

Inside, Luigi found himself looking at a very beefed up man with war paint all over him, wielding a large staff with a Snifit's face carved onto the top. His head was shiny bald, and there were numerous scars dotting over the man's body. He was sitting as Luigi came in, but the plumber didn't doubt for a second that the man was taller than him. And Luigi was quite tall, standing 6'2. He confirmed this as the man stood up, now towering over him. He had heard of those seven footers used in wars, how their size intimidated their enemies. Luigi had fought many large monsters with Mario however, so luckily he wasn't quite intimidated by the tall chieftain. Silence reigned the room with an iron fist, Luigi shifting nervously on the crutch he was given. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up, and though he wanted to do nothing more than run, the slight pain coursing up his leg told him otherwise. Diana, who was quite annoyed at the tense silence, decided to break it.

"Father, the stranger has awoken from his slumber. Were there not things you wanted to ask of him?" She glared at the Indian-esque man. He sighed, looking up at Luigi.

"Stranger, what are you doing in our village?"

"FATHER!" Diana shouted curtly, glaring at the village leader. The man sighed before nodding.

"My apologies, I am not one for introductions. I am Loki, leader of Aired village." He motioned to Diana. "That is Diana, my daughter." He then nodded to Luigi, who nodded as well. If there was one thing he had learned from his adventures with Mario and the Princess, it was that introductions were very important. He had even talked at a few of her meetings. True, he wasn't really awake for most of her meetings, because it usually revolved around the same things, but he was a pretty good speaker, in his mind at least.

"I am Luigi, a traveler on a quest. You asked of me what I'm doing in this village, and I must say that I don't quite know." Loki watched him carefully, Luigi getting that cold chill down his spine again. "I'm looking for a friend of mine. We were crossing the mountain to reach the desert but we were attacked by a large buzzard." Loki raised an eyebrow, Luigi blinking. "A big bird."

"Ah." Loki nodded, Luigi letting out a small sigh.

"The big bird grabbed me and tried bringing me somewhere, but I got loose and fell. Next thing I know, I'm here, with a broken ankle." Luigi looked to his leg. "I'm also looking for a map...a special piece of paper with drawings on it." Luigi explained as Loki once more seemed confused. Luigi watched Loki in confusion. Diana seemed to talk just fine, perfect speech without any problems of communication, yet her father, Loki, seemed to have trouble understanding basic words. Was it some sort of verbal problem with him? Or was it that he didn't quite know English? It was possible. This village was cut off from the main towns, and most likely, that was how they intended it to stay. Loki seemed to ponder the situation before nodding.

"Strange man's story seems okay to Loki. But Loki cannot let strange man leave." Luigi's eyes widened.

"What? Why?"

Loki turned to him, glaring before snapping his fingers. Luigi's eyes widened as he saw a villager bring the Keyblade into the room.

"You bring weapon of destruction with you. We must watch you, make sure you don't cause trouble."

"But that isn't really a weapon, and I still don't really know how to use it!" Luigi glared at Loki. This was getting ridiculous. Why was he calling a weapon that no doubt hadn't done anything a weapon of destruction? Loki glared at Luigi as he stomped his foot.

"WEAPON IS WEAPON! YOU BRING WEAPON TO AIRED VILLAGE! WHAT TO SAY THERE NO MORE OF YOU?" Luigi glared at the man, feeling his temper rising.

"I'm not going to attack you. I just want to find my friend and continue on my journey. I leave, you live in peace." Luigi said, trying to maintain calm.

"NO! LOKI NOT ALLOW!"

Luigi snapped.

"I CAN'T LEAVE MY FRIEND OUT THERE!" Luigi roared, sparks beginning to course around his body. Gasps erupted around the tent.

"Wizard..." A Koopa spoke.

"Magic!" Diana said, holding a hand to her mouth.

"Magic?" Luigi looked around, wondering why some of the villagers were staring at him with wide eyes. He looked at his hand to see sparks resonating from it. Taking a deep breath, Luigi calmed the rampaging energy inside of him. They were all amazed how the sparks disappeared. Luigi looked back up to the cautious Loki. "I leave, you live in peace. My friend is out there, a small child, and he needs my help. Other friends need me, some disappear from me. I HAVE to find them. I can't stay." Luigi stated his determination fiercely.

Loki was quiet, watching Luigi from where he stood. He turned around, picking up the Keyblade and holding it up to the air.

"This weapon...it possesses a strange aura." He then turned to Luigi. "You too possess a strange aura. Loki is leader of village. Loki must protect village!" He stated, slamming the staff into the ground.

"And Luigi must protect his friends."

The two stared at each other evenly, neither side giving up. The tent was quiet, despite having been a shouting match mere moments ago. Looking first to the Keyblade and then to Luigi, Loki nodded.

"You may leave..." Luigi face lit up. "But only on one condition." Luigi's face fell. Composing himself, the injured plumber nodded, deciding he had best hear the condition. After all, it couldn't be TOO bad, could it? "You must fight me."

You could hear a cricket chirp.

"WHAAAAT?" Luigi gawked at the big, beefy, war veteran-like man.

"Father!" Loki held up a hand, silencing his daughter. He kept his stare even with Luigi.

"You must fight Loki. If you win, you leave. If you lose, you stay."

"But, he's injured! He can barely move! Father, be reasonable!"

Luigi stared at the man in shock. He had to fight? In his condition? WAS THIS GUY NUTS!? Maybe, but then again, judging by the shocked looks of everyone, maybe he wasn't. Because right now Luigi was the biggest idiot, his head having nodded and the words 'All right' having just escaped his lips.

"What? It's not like I have much of a choice..." Luigi shrugged to Diana, though she couldn't help but notice Luigi's legs were shaking like he was holding a jackhammer.

'_Me'thinks my brother's stubbornness is rubbing off on me...' _Luigi gloomed, wanting to just roll-up and die in the corner.

"We begin." He walked out of the tent, Luigi slowly limping after him.

Numerous villagers watched as Luigi limped after the Chieftain, wondering where he was being led. Some of the older villagers sighed sadly, already knowing the young man's fate. As Luigi struggled to keep up with the towering man, his mind was flying through ideas at a furious pace. The last time he had to do something like this was when he was fighting the Chestnut King for the second time in the Waffle Kingdom. He ended up fighting the creature three times, the second time was just after he had broken his wrist. It took a Life Shroom to restore his arm back to health, but he had only been able to get his hands on it AFTER the battle. Luigi furiously thought of ideas to surprise the chieftain, but his main concern was how the Chieftain held battles. Mario had taught him that, even though you win, you lose. And seeing how everyone obeyed the Chieftain so readily, he wondered that, if he somehow DID win, would the villagers try to attack him in retaliation?

'_I need more time to think!'_ Luigi panicked, noticing the arena coming up.

It was a large area with markings and walls built around the structure. Four large towers signaled the corners, while two large pillars stood near the middle of the stage. Loki took the far side of the arena while Luigi hobbled to the one closest to the gate. He looked back, swallowing as the gate slammed shut. He noticed two villagers walking over to him, and his eyes sparkled in joy. Happily taking some of his equipment back, Luigi smiled as he put the flannel shirt, Adventure Pouch and belt back on his person. Granted, he wasn't able to change back into his shoes, but it didn't matter. The problem stood in front of him.

Loki was sitting across the arena, waiting patiently for Luigi to prepare himself. He no longer held the Snifit Staff from earlier, but a long spear. His once bald head was covered by the bony skull of a dead Koopa, and his sandals had disappeared from his feet. Even worse, in Luigi's opinion, was the fact that there was a flaming aura of power surrounding the calm Chieftain.

Luigi didn't need to look down to see his legs were shaking. He could hear the clacking of the crutch as it shook along with the rest of him. Taking a deep breath, Luigi attempted to calm his nerves. He looked to his right hand, where the Keyblade rested quietly, thrumming in quiet satisfaction. Once again, Luigi couldn't help but wonder if the blade was alive, as it seemed to thrum in content whenever it was in his hand. Taking another deep breath, Luigi looked forward.

"All right. It's now or never."


	8. Thunderclap

"OH CRAP! OH CRAP OH CRAP OH DIDDLY SNAP!" Todd panicked as he ran around the clearing. Luigi had been gone for too long, and he wasn't sure if he was even okay or not. The Toad began to panic, not knowing what to do. He was on a strange mountain in a strange place, with about two days' worth of supplies, and no idea on where to go. This was supposed to be a quick trip to the desert outpost, find the inn and then do whatever it was that they needed to do. Luigi wasn't supposed to be attacked by a buzzard and then fall off a cliff!

"OH CRAP OH CRAP OH DIDDLY SNAP!"

"What seems to be the problem?" A voice said behind Todd. The orange-capped Toad turned around to see a man wearing a sandy brown cloak and dark blue eyes. Todd couldn't see much else about the man. His face was hidden by the cloak.

"U-um, Ooohh...Well...I..."

"Calm down." The man said gently, putting a hand on the boy's Mushroom cap. "Just tell me what happened." Taking a deep breath, Todd exhaled slowly.

"W-well, me and a friend of mine were heading for Dry Dry Outpost, a desert town that's supposed to be at the end of this trail. B-but we were attacked!"

"Attacked you say?" The man asked, a small tone of worry creeping into his voice.

"Yeah! A big black buzzard attacked us, thinking we knew where some guy named Mario was. We tried not to fight, but he said that Mario had tricked him before, and that he wouldn't fall for another trick! And then! And Then!" Todd began to panic again, the cloaked man telling him to take another deep breath. Slowing down again, Todd thanked the man. "And then, Luigi threw me into that small cave over there and was taken away by the buzzard! But, he shot lightning from his hand and shocked the bird! Which was cool! But then he fell!" A look of awe shone in his eyes for a moment before they returned to their panicked state. "And now I don't know what to do!"

The man watched the Toad's panic-stricken state before he looked towards the cliff. Walking over to it, the man peered down, looking at the very long drop down. Todd watched in confusion as the man looked to the sky, quiet, before turning around.

"Tell you what, you seem to be in a tight spot, and so I'll help you out." He said, Todd imagining the man smiling underneath the cloak. "You said your friend's name was Luigi, right?" The Toad nodded. "Then I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Do you know him mister?" Todd asked as he began to follow the stranger. He imagined a small smirk appearing on the man's face.

"Yeah, you could say that. Luigi has a way of finding a way out of things on his own, so I'm sure he's fine."

* * *

"HEEEEELP!" Luigi screamed, hobbling at an inhuman speed away from the rampaging Loki. "WHY IS HE SO DAMN FAAAHAAHAAHAAAST!?" The man cried in misery.

"LOKI IS VILLAGE CHIEF! OF COURSE LOKI STRONG!" The chieftain roared, leaping high into the air. Luigi looked up before squawking as Loki fell towards him, the shockwave of the large man landing next to him sending Luigi flying away. Finally coming to a stop, Luigi looked up to see Loki slowly stand up before flashing the spear towards his big nose. "Loki will not back down easily!"

"But I don't even really wanna fight!" Luigi panicked as he tried unsuccessfully to fight with the Keyblade. His foot kept sending shockwaves of pain up his leg every time he put more weight on it than he should have. Add in the fact that the only weapon that Luigi had ever really used in battle was a hammer; Luigi was at a huge disadvantage, merely swatting at Loki's spear with his un-orthodox weapon. Once again, Luigi speedily began to hobble away from the man. The chieftain snorted as he started after Luigi again, running much like a gorilla would.

"You are COWARD SKINNY MAN!" Loki roared, Luigi's eyes widening. The plumber slowed to a halt, his eyes wide as he stared at the ground. Luigi mumbled something incoherent, Loki's face not showing whether he heard him or not. "You are coward skinny man...you no have courage." Loki readied his spear for the final blow, but before he began to charge again, Luigi burst out laughing.

"HAHAHAHA! YOU'RE RIGHT! YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! I **AM** A COWARD!" He laughed before spinning around, a mile-wide grin on his face. "So what the hell am I doing fighting? I've always been a coward, so when in the world did I start to think I was my brother?" Luigi grinned, Loki staring at him in confusion. "I'm a coward, so I should start thinking like one!" Luigi's hand burst to life as electricity crackled around his arm. The plumber slammed his hand onto the ground, the burst of energy creating a cloud of dust. The villagers tried to see what was going on, the dust having surrounded the entire arena. Luigi pushed himself upright on his crutch, creating fireballs in both hands and pushing off of the wooden crutch before launching the fireballs, the recoil pushing him out of the smokescreen. Spinning around, Luigi grasped onto one of the tall columns, the Keyblade being held by his belt. Pulling himself up, Luigi looked down as the smokescreen he created vanished, Loki looking around for his enemy.

"Up there Chieftain!" A villager shouted, Loki looking up and spotting Luigi.

"If there's anything I've learned from my brother, it's that I'm not him. I can't handle intense fighting too well, and especially not with a broken ankle, so the only thing I can do is think like a coward, which is my specialty!" Luigi shouted as he raised a hand to the sky, storm clouds being pulled to the arena. "So call me a cheap shot, a coward, whatever!" Luigi grinned as electricity crackled around his hand. "I'm a coward, and a coward's specialty is running away!" Luigi swung his hand down, a bolt of lightning hitting his tower. With a flash of light and a deafening explosion, the tower imploded into hundreds of pieces, debris falling down and pelting the audience. When the smoke dissipated, Luigi was nowhere to be found.

Diana walked out to the battlefield, noticing the crutch lying on the ground, two burn marks sizzling just above it. Picking it up, she looked to the sky, wondering if she would ever see him again.

* * *

"Whew, didn't think it would work..." Luigi sighed as he looked down at his fluffy ride. "Good thing I studied up on you guys." Luigi smiled as he pat the moving cloud. The cloud smiled back at Luigi as it continued on its journey towards the dessert. Luigi looked back to the village in the distance, wondering if they were still looking for him. Looking towards the horizon, his mind wandered back to his time at the library, a few weeks before the catastrophe of the Heartless.

"_How in the world do they even GET those stupid clouds anyway?"_ _Luigi grumbled as he rubbed his lump-riddled head, behind him an unconscious Lakitu and his cloud floating away. He had heard of Lakitu's still 'paying off' their cloud, so did that mean that you had to buy them? He had once gotten on a magic carpet, but those were both expensive and horrible to drive, yet the Lakitu's seemed to have good control over their clouds. It made Luigi wonder how he could get one of those for himself. And after asking around for a 'cloud shop' and getting laughed at, Luigi found himself at the Toad Town public library. There he had found a book on Lakitu and, more importantly, their clouds._

"Just like thunderstorms, clouds are attracted by heat in the air, but thunder clouds are attracted to points of electrical current. It's why cities have more storms than farms out in the country." Luigi lifted up his hand. "If I channel electricity to my hand, I can gather storm clouds, and you clouds are attracted as well." Luigi looked down at his ride. "Though you were a little out of the way, and it REALLY hurt to jump, you were the only one big enough for me that wouldn't electrocute me the moment I touched you." Luigi sighed. "But enough rambling," Luigi sat up before pushing what looked like a gas pedal, the cloud suddenly speeding up. "I've got to get to Dry Dry Outpost. It's probably where Todd was heading. I just hope he didn't freeze up in the mountains." Looking at his injured ankle, Luigi sighed. "I still can't believe I lost the map..."

A strange vibration made the plumber jolt before realizing it was the Keyblade. Pulling it up from its resting position on the cloud, Luigi felt his hand twitch left. Blinking, Luigi slowed the cloud to a stop. He felt his hand continue to twitch to the left, and, turning the cloud, Luigi felt the pull stop. He then felt as if his hand was suddenly pulling him forward towards a mountain base. Luigi turned around to see the dessert off in the distance, the winds blowing harshly. Looking back at his pulled hand, he debated upon going after Todd or following the Keyblade.

"He could be in trouble..." Luigi pulled back towards the dessert, but as he began to move towards the sands, his resolve to go after Todd began to diminish, as if he were being pulled towards the other direction. The closer he got to the dessert, the more he felt the desire to turn around, and as he began to feel the heat of the sun more clearly, he clenched his eyes tightly. Why was he being pulled that way?

WHY?

"DAMMIT ALL TO HELL!" Luigi cursed, spinning the cloud around and going back the way he came.

Luigi pressed the pedal further, driving the cloud faster and faster the way he had been moments before. A wave of relief flowed through him, as if he was being rewarded by going in this direction. The closer he got, the greater the feeling of content he felt. Why was he feeling like this? Why did he feel so relieved just going towards the source of this strange energy?

Luigi blinked, slowing the cloud down again. He looked down in front of him to see a forested shrine of sorts, with a glow emanating inside. Luigi lowered the cloud, and just as he finished grabbed his gear and slowly stepped out, he watched as the cloud disappear in a loud puff of smoke, nothing remaining. Blinking, Luigi turned back to the shrine, thankful that he had grabbed his stuff when he did. Moss and tree roots covered the entrance, and the top of the shrine was hidden by tree branches. A star was engraved at the front of the shrine, along with some strange runes. Slowly hobbling into the shrine, Luigi found an altar at the far end of the building, light streaming in from numerous holes in the old shrine. Luigi's eyes widened as a stream of light illuminated an old piece of paper in front of the altar.

"THE MAP!" Luigi hobbled rapidly towards the paper, picking it up and kissing it repeatedly. "YES YES YES! MY LUCK IS FINALLY CHANGING! HAHAHA!" He leapt into the air, only to land on his injured foot.

"GYAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

The shout caused numerous birds to flee from the shrine in fear, one particular head turning towards the source in curiosity.

"Stupid idea..." Luigi whined as he gently rubbed his splintered foot, leaning against the altar. Looking at the injury, Luigi noticed the clothes Rosalina had made herself. He was lucky to get his clothing back. Granted he hadn't lost his pants, and he could always buy new shoes when he got back to town, but the flannel shirt was custom made by Rosalina herself! Luigi blushed in embarrassment as he remembered what Polari had told him.

"Yeesh! And I almost lost them only three days after I got it..." Luigi exhaled slowly. The plumber stood up, careful of his ankle, before he felt something pulse lightly behind him. Turning around, Luigi found a strange crystal diamond floating above the altar. Funny, how hadn't he noticed that in the first place? Looking at it in curiosity, Luigi felt a sort of calm emanating from it. His eyes widened as he recognized it as the feeling that had been pulling him here. Hardly even aware of it, Luigi raised a hand and picked up the diamond, inspecting it at a closer view. A green sphere glowed inside of it, and Luigi could have sworn he saw leaves swirling inside of the sphere.

Suddenly, the diamond began floating above his hands before shattering, a blinding light making Luigi shield his eyes. When he regained his sight, Luigi found the room to be quiet, the sphere nowhere to be found. Luigi turned around, wondering if it went out the door. Walking outside, Luigi found the forest to be quiet and welcoming, a warm breeze blowing against his face. He noticed a pair of birds watching him and a squirrel staring at him from a tree. Blinking, Luigi looked down to notice the splinter on his leg was gone.

"My leg...it...it didn't hurt. Even though I walked out here..." Taking a deep breath, Luigi closed his eyes. Strange, he felt calm all of a sudden. As if nothing was wrong in the world. A gust of wind rushed around Luigi, and when he opened his eyes, he saw nothing but yellow and blue. Blinking, Luigi looked around to find himself in the dessert, still feeling surprisingly cool.

And then, the feeling faded away.

A burst of heat struck Luigi's face, causing the plumber to wrinkle his nose and turn his head, the feeling of tranquility disappearing. Shaking his head, Luigi remembered what his mission was. Glaring into the distance, he caught sight of a small town. "I've got to get to the Desert Flower Inn! That's where I'll find Todd!" Luigi said as he began running towards the town, somehow full of energy. However, instead of running heroically towards the town like he had dreamt of doing for years, he ended up flopping on his face.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON TODAY!?" Luigi shouted to the sky, waving his arms and legs frantically, very much like a little child. Grumbling, the irate plumber shook the sand off of his face before rubbing his nose. "What did I trip on anyway?" Luigi turned around, only for his face to pale. A Koopa skull lay staring at him, tiny yellow eyes weakly staring at him inside of black sockets.

"_Please...help...me..."_

"AAAIIIIIIEEEE!" Luigi screamed, jumping up into the air.

"_Wait...please...help me...I've been...cursed..."_

"C-c-cursed?" Luigi shivered. He suddenly started looking around frantically. Curses usually related to ghosts, and ghosts were one of the many things Luigi couldn't stand. Right next to rainy days after putting the clothes out to dry.

"_Please...can you...heal me?" _Luigi looked down to the skeleton sadly. He didn't have any healing abilities, save for using first-aid. And he doubted a Mushroom would help, considering the skull kind of didn't have a stomach...or a mouth for that matter.

"I'm sorry, but I don't really think I can help you..." Luigi squatted in front of the Koopa head. Strange, despite being a freaky little head, he actually seemed pretty nice. Luigi plopped down next to the skull, picking it up and looking at it. What could he do anyway? And, come to think of it...

"Where's the rest of you? You're not really just a head, are you?"

"_No...the desert...swallowed me..."_

"Oh...Sorry, I don't think I can do anything-

_**NOT TRUE LUIGI!**_

"WAAAH!" Luigi screamed, tossing the head into the air. "Ack!" The plumber dove for the skeletal head, catching it before skidding on the sand. Shaking the sand off once more, Luigi looked around to try and find the source of the voice. His eyes finally caught a light shimmer below his chin and, pulling out the leather pouch, found it glowing. Luigi plopped out the shard before a transparent Eldstar appeared before him.

"Eldstar?" Luigi blinked, barely able to see the Star Spirit because of the bright sands of the dessert.

_**Yes Luigi, it is I. We Star Spirits were holding council when we felt a shift of power. Did you by chance encounter a strange gem?**_

"Uh...yeah. It had this little sphere inside..."

_**Luigi, you have just found a magical prism!**_

"A what?"

_**An ancient relic used in days of old. It bestows a unique and powerful ability to the one who picks it up. No one knows exactly how many there are, but as you grow stronger, so do they. Now let me ask you, did you notice anything about the sphere inside the prism? **_

Luigi put a hand to his chin in thought. "Ummm...it was green?" He spoke the words hesitantly.

_**Hmm...That means you have found a nature spell. And judging from the feeling of energy resonating from you, I can already tell that it's a healing spell! Luigi! You have found Cure!**_

"Cure? Oh!" Luigi's eyes widened as realization hit him. He spun around to see the Koopa head staring at the star spirit in shock. Was there really a star floating in the dessert? He suddenly caught Luigi's stare however and turned to him instead. Luigi stood up, suddenly feeling a strange power buzzing around inside of him. Pulling the Keyblade out from its resting place in his belt, he raised it towards the sky. Closing his eyes, Luigi felt a dark presence next to him. Locking onto hit, he felt a strange energy flow to the tip of the Keyblade.

"**CURE!"** The plumber shouted, snapping his eyes open.

The skeletal head began floating up before spinning around, a gust of wind shielding him from sight. When the wind died down, a full Dry Bones was staring back at him, looking down to see he had a body again. Sort of.

"Looks like my Cure isn't strong enough to break the curse..." Luigi sighed.

"Hey! You gave me a body back! That's one step up from where I was a moment ago. Thanks!" Luigi looked at the Dry Bones and smiled.

"No problem. Thanks Eldsta- oh...he's gone." Luigi found the transparent Star Spirit nowhere to be found. "Oh well. I'm sure I'll see him again soon." The young man shrugged as he replaced the Shard back into the pouch around his neck. He turned back to the Skeleton and smiled. "I know this is kinda weird to ask now, but...what's your name?"

"Ah!" The Dry Bones began to chuckle. "I actually forgot about that."

The two shared a small chuckle, laughing at the awkwardness of the situation. "My name's Parch. Always wondered why I was given this name, but I guess it sort of makes sense now." He said looking at the gloved hands floating away from his body. It felt like he had arms, yet he didn't. "I ended up running out of water, so I guess I was cursed by the desert."

"What were you doing out here anyway Parch?" The Dry Bones' eyes shifted downwards.

"I was trying to go after bandits."

"Those blue guys that are always stealing your money?" Luigi asked crossing his arms. Parch shook his head.

"No no. REAL bandits. They stole from my parent's shop, so..."

"You chased after them, not realizing what might happen..." Luigi sighed, immediately thinking of Mario. The aura of gloom that shrouded Parch was kind of hard to miss at this point.

"But what are YOU doing out here Luigi?" The Dry Bones asked, quickly trying to change the subject.

"Hmm?" Luigi looked up, trying to remember what he WAS doing out in the desert. "Urk!" His eyes shrank as he finally remembered. "OH CRAP! TODD!" Luigi turned and saw the faint outline of Dry Dry Outpost. "OH MAN, I TOTALLY GOT CAUGHT UP IN THIS! I FORGOT ALL ABOUT HIM! **AGAIN!**" Luigi suddenly started running towards the town, waving back to Parch. "LATER PARCH!" The Dry Bones stared after Luigi for a moment before looking down to his gloves. Clenching it, he glared at Luigi's back.

"Oh crap, oh crap oh crap! I can't believe I forgot about him! How could I forget about a tiny little toad who probably got lost in the mountains! If I can't find him in the town, I'm heading back for the mountains! Even if I have to face...*gulp*...Loki again..." The plumber paled as he picked up his speed, waves of sand being blasted up into the air as he ran. "PLEASE LET HIM BE IN THE TOWN!" He cried pathetically.

"Luigi!" A faint voice said behind the supersonic plumber. Luigi turned around to see Parch sliding on his back, much like a hammer bro would after scoring a goal in soccer.

"Parch?" Luigi raised an eyebrow, still running at the same speedy pace, his legs seemingly having been transformed into the shape of a rapidly spinning ball.

"I'm coming with you! You helped me, so the least I can do is help you!" Luigi smiled at the Dry Bones, nodding.

"All right! Welcome aboard!" Luigi smiled as he gave the skeleton a thumb's up.


End file.
